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Just beyond the pinky finger of the empire's civilizing grip lay the free cities of Bard's Gate (formerly Westgate) and Endhome (formerly Freegate (formerly Eastgate (formerly Westgatesucks-gate))). Snaking north from Bard's Gate, the Stoneheart mountains cut a wide isolating swathe through the landscape. Likewise, the Gulf of Akados flows forth from Endhome, it's dark cerulean depths just as perilous as the highest peaks of the Stoneheart. However, the real heart of our story lies beyond these two gatekeeper cities, choked between mountain and coast. For it is these wild lands where heroes are inexorably drawn, where beasts which cannot be dreamed of roam, where treasures not even the king is fit for hide. It is here that adventure is soon and sure to unfold - here in
Now that we've got all the fluffy bits out I the way, I propose we get down to business. My name is Steve, I am a cat, and I promise I have no ulterior motives whatsoever.
I'm looking for - a gang, band, posse, litter, whatever you call it - but a group of 6 adventurers to brave the Lost Lands.
When I say Lost Lands I do mean the entirety of the Lost Lands - Bard's Gate, Stoneheart Valley, Lost City of Barakus, Slumbering Tsar, Rappan Athuk, Sword of Air, you get the picture.
Will we ever even touch upon all this content? Definitely not, it's far too massive. Will it be the most awesome game ever run by a cat? Only time will teJUST KIDDING ABSOLUTELY.
Before I give out any character creation bits however, I must confess that I find myself in need of a good plot hook and just a bit more catnip. So in true sandbox fashion, I'm hoping you can help me figure out some of the starting details. Consider the game to still be in sort of an interest check (as I understand you humans say) phase at the moment.
Below are my current thoughts. None of these options will lock players into one particular path, and any ideas about alternate starting locations are more than welcome.
P.S. I've noticed at least two other Lost Lands campaigns on these forums so I'm sure you're wondering why a third. First of all, this one's run by a cat, but secondly and more importantly, this campaign will feature content from The Sword of Air megaadventure, making it the most complete one yet.
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On the one hand, I need to stop getting sucked into the newest shiny. On the other, this is certainly different.
To be more helpful, I believe that the Lost City stuff is designed with low level in mind.
Me too! Always been fascinated by Bards Gate, and have never had the chance to adventure there. Endhome might be fun as well... but Fairhill and Reme not so much. Get tired of the small country hick finding out that adventure is out there motif.
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If you go with sword of air I might apply but the others I have read/run and know the spoilers so I'm disqualified :(
Glad to see more lost lands fans though!
Sword of Air is VERY freeform and while I'll most definitely be working it in when I can, I feel it'll work best in tandem with the other adventures. While I won't bar you from applying, DMG, I will warn that if you do end up playing it might be just a bit before you start to experience the Sword of Air content.
Starting details? As someone who actually doesn't know anything about the content you speak of, Mr. the Cat, I admit that my suggestion might seem far fetched or obvious.
It sounds like you've got the perfect setting for a number of different stories.
There is the Gate cities, which could face problems to foreigners and people traveling to them for the first time that would seem really weird. The monsters we can't dream of for instance could be something they had to deal with daily, creating a need for adventurer's to go out and strike back while also allowing them to have some adventure's within the cities as well.
It could be opposite though. These gate cities are very good at staying out of the mysterious lands beyond their gates because of the dangers involved. Everyone knows there's some ancient riches to behold but the myths and legends of the land have become a cultural inheritance, passed down and growing from one generation to the next, each story emphasizing how dangerous it is. Right up until one slightly crazed merchant with a -lot- of wealth and some 'secret intel' about the location of this lost city or that lost artifact comes around and starts an expedition. A very well funded one, not for the faint of heart, allowing for a more... savage game where it's about the mysteries of the land?
It could be a combination, starting with the former, a defense of the city against some of the dangers, and slowly leading to the latter. The city has been defended and the locals are much safer then they have been for generations thanks to the proud heroes. But now one local in particular wants to venture forth on an expedition?
Again, these are ideas I had without researching the setting at all, so they might not fit in the least. If that's the case, I do apologize for wasting your time Mr. the Cat.
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Is there some sort of player's guide available?
No player's guide, but once I have more of an idea of what the players want I'll be able to furnish something in that vein. What I'm looking for now is your input on the feel of the campaign's opening. Urban/big city, dungeon delving, wilderness exploration, criminals breaking out of prison, small town heroes, etc. are all possibilities. Of course, in such a sandbox the tone of the adventures may not always stay constant.
Markos, those are all wonderful plot hooks, but I'm more interested, as I said above, in the feel and general geographical location that you envision such an adventure starting in.
Thank you for drawing my attention to this Steve. Yes I would be interested in playing... though I have no idea about a hook... and I haven't read or heard about this setting before you brought it to my attention... I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful about this...
Though, if you give me time I could study more about it, or I could play a clueless foreigner... your pick! ;)
Have no worries about knowledge of the setting, there's still plenty of time and I've yet to even open a formal recruitment. Part of the beauty of the Lost Lands is that while civilization might be found here or there, they are largely unknown and unexplored, thus setting knowledge isn't quite so necessary.
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On a more selfish level, it would be nice to start somewhere that I can play a more unusual race. Mainly because I have a taste for the exotic.
Dotting for interest
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While I won't bar you from applying, DMG, I will warn that if you do end up playing it might be just a bit before you start to experience the Sword of Air content.
Thanks for the quick reply Steve the Cat. I just don't want to be "that dude" that knows the spoilers. I've run Wizard's Amulet, Crucible of Freya, and the early parts of Slumbering Tsar and Rappan Athuk. And I've read most of Barakus. So no matter where you start it would probably be like 6th level+ before I was in uncharted territory.
Kinda unfair to everyone else IMO. I'll definitely be following along though, this is really cool old-school material you're offering.
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Would love to get involved with this game...have been a fan of necromancer games since Wizard's Amulet (for 3.0). Have Bard's Gate, Crucible of Freya and all the errata and extras for them. Will try to get something up asap!!
My choice would be to start in Fairhill...it is the perfect place to begin to get the feel of the land..then maybe once the adventures there have run thin, off to Bard's Gate and beyond!
I have a taste for the exotic.
I see that you seem to have a gnome partially digested as we speak.
Dotting. Dunno. Sandbox means very player driven in my experience, so it'd really depend on the players. I tend to prefer for there to be a little traintrack.
Either way. Bump + Dot.
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I know very little about the setting... but from a purely plot perspective, there are a lot of ways a party can wind up working for a cat. Which may be ENTIRELY a misunderstanding of what you're looking for (due to some willful ignorance on my part). Here are some ideas:
1. The party is a traveling circus of unusual performers, led by a talking, enchanted feline (a la The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents). Maybe one or two humans to act as showmen, but the rest of the party is made up of vanarans, grippli, tengu, kitsune, wildshaping druids, naturalist summoners, etc.
- As a party of performers, every character is focused on some sort of performance, whether it's music, acrobatics, sleight of hand, breathing fire, summoning monkeys, tricks known by a companion — and part of each character's plot involves mastering some particular skill
- As a party of travelers, everyone is responsible for food, shelter, recruiting an audience, tending the horses and repairing the wagons. Suddenly, when traveling to remote locations, skills like Profession (carpenter), Craft (cook), Handle Animal, and Knowledge (geography) all become important, and the party needs to focus on unusual challenges and character layouts, with combat being only one part of the campaign.
- Some actual plot happens. With a talking animal leading the circus, something magical is on the horizon. Maybe the feline was once the familiar of a powerful wizard who eventually replaced him with an improvement, but now that same spell caster is sending waves through the countryside, leaving the party to clean up increasingly troublesome magical messes in every town they visit, in addition to the burden of putting on a good show. Maybe the critter is an escapee from an outer plane, and Inevitables, Devils, or elder Fey will begin to come looking for him, forcing the party to adapt and learn to defend themselves in the process.
2. The party is made up of a number of charters all capable of talking to animals. Gnomes, rangers, druids, animal domain clerics. Somehow, an otherwise ordinary cat has called them forward to a prophesied destiny.
- But working for a cat does not pay well; and though the party are, for some reason or another, true believers, they must find ways to support themselves, taking on work (whether it involves using a lyre of building to construct housing expansions, fighting roving bandits, or carrying messages and performing espionage) to fund their greater, secretive mission.
3. The party is a group of cat burglars, led by a living legend: a thief whose on hubris grew so great he transformed himself into a cat, only to discover he had lost the manual dexterity he spent so many years developing. Now, all he has is his stealth and his mind—and so he has become the mastermind to a group of very unique thieves, his proteges, to whom he is trying to teach his tricks of the trade.
- Heist scenarios work pretty well in pathfinder; I've been part of a gang-of-thieves game IRL, and essentially they just require very different combat roles.
- Players would be given short lists of objects to steal, of valuable wealth or powerful magic, held in well-defended temples and castles around the world, and would have to work together creatively (at least, as creative as their characters would naturally be) to steal blueprints and build a heist plan, then invariably alter it on the fly.
4. A Puss-in-Boots narrative. Somehow, the party — a gang of desperate, destitute drifters and stragglers — has come into possession of a talking cat. It promises them great fame and fortune, if they only listen to (and find ways to complete) a list of very bizarre tasks.
- May involve some ennui as characters struggle with the madcap, surrealist chases their lives are slowly becoming.
I'm very interested, I hope you're a better employer than my last one(blasted dog ate the 9th level scroll he was going to pay me with).
Dogs. Don't get me started.
Anyways, thunderbeard, while I am most flattered that you envision yourself working for me, I am merely taking the role of impartial GM throughout this ordeal. Completely impartial, yes, so it would be entirely unfair to inject my own motives and biases upon the story. ;)
Dotting. Dunno. Sandbox means very player driven in my experience, so it'd really depend on the players. I tend to prefer for there to be a little traintrack.
If it's structure you're worried about, fear not! Between all of the different Frog God Games adventures there are plenty of different "tracks" for the players to pursue, the sandbox comes into play regarding which tracks they want to follow, as well as how, when, and where they want to pursue their goals.
Probably a stupid question but I'll ask anyway: Are you planning on using Pathfinder rules to run this game or a different rule-set (e.g. Swords & Wizardry or 5E)?
A reasonable question - Frog God Games does publish S&W versions of a lot of their stuff. But we will be using Pathfinder for this.
A bit of teaser information about the current possible starting locations:
To the south, the Stoneheart River becomes impassible due to a series of sheer falls. As a result of this, the central island of Bard’s Gate became an important port for barge traffic, from which goods were transported overland to Reme. Thus, the western side of the town developed first, with the central island used as a defensive and governmental center.
With the rise of an imperial power to the south, merchants from the neighboring kingdoms began to avoid shipping goods by river and traveled overland along the merchant’s road to Bard’s Gate and on to Reme, bringing still more prosperity to the growing city. The guild system developed due to the high volume of trade passing through the city. To this day, Bard’s Gate — especially in its outlying districts — retains a rough and almost frontier feel.
The city’s banner depicts a silver lyre above a stone gatehouse on a green field. Bard’s Gate is currently an independent city, allied to the nearby Grand Duchy for mutual defense and prosperity. The Grand Duke’s troops help defend the city against the evil creatures from the Stoneheart Mountains to the north. A liberal and tolerant city, Bard’s Gate welcomes all races.
There is no lack of adventure in Endhome either, for where there is wealth there is always intrigue, and some merchants deal in more than just silks and herbs. The taverns are filled with shady characters looking for discreet men to carry out one plan or another. Adventurers returning with rare treasures are always able to find interested buyers in the city’s bazaar and trading district.
The settlement itself is little more than the inn, a smithy, a merchant trader, and a ferryboat for those who desire to cross the river. Nevertheless, Zelkor’s Ferry is a place of comfort and safety compared to the hungry wilderness that surrounds it on all sides.
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Just my 2 cents, I'd love a game that starts in Endhome, from what I've read thus far.
Bards Gate or Endhome sound good to me. I'm thinking I would rather enjoy a Stalker who plies his trade in one of those fair cities.
I know very little about the setting... but from a purely plot perspective, there are a lot of ways a party can wind up working for a cat. Which may be ENTIRELY a misunderstanding of what you're looking for (due to some willful ignorance on my part). Here are some ideas:
1. The party is a traveling circus of unusual performers, led by a talking, enchanted feline (a la The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents). Maybe one or two humans to act as showmen, but the rest of the party is made up of vanarans, grippli, tengu, kitsune, wildshaping druids, naturalist summoners, etc.
- As a party of performers, every character is focused on some sort of performance, whether it's music, acrobatics, sleight of hand, breathing fire, summoning monkeys, tricks known by a companion — and part of each character's plot involves mastering some particular skill
- As a party of travelers, everyone is responsible for food, shelter, recruiting an audience, tending the horses and repairing the wagons. Suddenly, when traveling to remote locations, skills like Profession (carpenter), Craft (cook), Handle Animal, and Knowledge (geography) all become important, and the party needs to focus on unusual challenges and character layouts, with combat being only one part of the campaign.
- Some actual plot happens. With a talking animal leading the circus, something magical is on the horizon. Maybe the feline was once the familiar of a powerful wizard who eventually replaced him with an improvement, but now that same spell caster is sending waves through the countryside, leaving the party to clean up increasingly troublesome magical messes in every town they visit, in addition to the burden of putting on a good show. Maybe the critter is an escapee from an outer plane, and Inevitables, Devils, or elder Fey will begin to come looking for him, forcing the party to adapt and learn to defend themselves in the process.
I actually really like this idea. There are actually a lot of classes (and archetypes) that would go great with this (Carnavalist being one of them) and I can see this going a long way if the characters are made in conjunction with one another (filing niches where needed and communicating our concepts).
Anyways, thunderbeard, while I am most flattered that you envision yourself working for me, I am merely taking the role of impartial GM throughout this ordeal. Completely impartial, yes, so it would be entirely unfair to inject my own motives and biases upon the story. ;)
The "Cat" doesn't have to be you exactly Steve and if the other players think its a interesting idea, I would indeed like the idea of an animal ringleader like that. It makes for an interesting story and roleplaying experience.
"How did we come to work for the cat? Do we know how the animal became awakened (or what is the cat actually)? Why is the cat interested in leading a circus anyway? Why are we in the Lost Lands (the cat's interests or the party's)?"
Though if you would rather, we don't have to do that. You are the GM after all and if you feel that way about it then we as the players can respect that.
Though... I still like the circus idea and put a vote for that possibility.
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You know, the circus could be a very interesting new take.
Hurrrrm. The more I contemplate this circus idea the more I see it shaping itself into the campagin. I'll take a quick cat-nap and think on it, but at the moment I'm very strongly leaning towards the traveling circus.
Lol! Ya, that would fit in the circus. I would put a vote for a well made character like that. Though... I didn't think there was an official recruitment yet... ;)
(^_^) That's okay...
I'll just 'hold things up' until we get word about a game. (^_~)
Alrighty - the ribbon still hasn't been officially cut for recruitment, but I think I have the basic gist of our opening down.
Essentially, the yet unnamed "Empire" is going to be very stable yet extremely intolerant towards exotic races, freaks, talking cats, etc. For a while now a kindly druid and his awakened cat companion have been traveling around collecting such characters and offering them employment and camaraderie in the form of traveling circus. A little while ago, the druid passed away (with mysterious dying wishes!) for whatever reasons and so the cat took over as headmaster of the circus. Due to lost travel papers/the cat's personal whims/I'm not quite sure yet, the cat decided to change course for the Lost Lands and once and for all escape the prejudiced eye of the Empire. However, en route, the cat died (with conflicting dying wishes!), leaving ownership of the circus caravan entirely in the players' hands.
This would give the players a perfect reason not to leave the Lost Lands, as they really won't be able to find much better prospects elsewhere. Plus, we can use a version of the caravan rules (modified to my taste of course), so yay subsystems!
For the most part I've got all the details worked out (although still open to more suggestions) but there's still the question of how the caravan will enter the Lost Lands.
Our options are either from the west through Fairhill and then on to Bard's Gate or from the south straight to either Bard's Gate or Endhome. Thoughts?
NNNOOOOOO!!!! ;_;
Why is the cat gone? :(
*Continues to cry over the poor, demised cat* :'(
I say south to Bards gate. Might as well go to a trade city.
Unless you guys don't want to start out big. Then we could go west to FairHill.
(Reminder for character idea: Nagaji "Snake Man," maybe Druid (Naga Aspirant))
NNNOOOOOO!!!! ;_;
Why is the cat gone? :(
*Continues to cry over the poor, demised cat* :'(
Why do the talking animals always die?! (T.T)
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I really like the idea of getting to play someting different and exotic...and I too weep for our cat, Mr. Wiggles (lol)
I would like to start it small and work up to the bigger cities..but that is just my preference. Give the players a chance to get to know each othr before being placed in a big city full of all sorts of dangers and excitement...so I guess I vote for Fairhill.
Nightflier here.
I think that this old character of mine would be just right for a campaign like that. I've envisioned him as a "noble savage" type of character. If his background is approved, I'll re-crunch him depending on the rules.
.....
KITTEY!
*HUGZ*
(^_^)
Here's a 'smaller' version of Xane for a starting game.
*Continues to hug and snuggle kittay* (^_^)
So lovely to see all this adoration of cats. It's clear I have come to the right place.
Regardless, due to circumstances outside of your understandings, I can assure you that the cat may or may not need to be dead at the start of the adventure. So please do not blame yourselves.
Huh, that Carnivalist thing is interesting!
I mostly used "led by a cat" as an inspiration to myself to generate plot hooks. That said, carnivals are an excellent historical/literary disguise for all manner of ruffians and adventurers, whether thieves or just outcasts guarding a secret (like the scion of a lost royal house, or hiding from a powerful enemy). Such a talented society or leader could also surround themselves with normal acrobats and buskers with the idea of recruiting those who prove themselves for undercover work in future towns.
Or I'm just nostalgic for The Cape.
I would love to come up with a Bard to attend Bards Gate. I don't mind the start in a small village, and go to the big city later, but I've done that a million times. So One of the bigger venue's would be my ideal starting place... Still I'll go with what is most popular.
Looks like the support is leaning towards the Bard's Gate/Endhome side of the spectrum. I'm thinking that everyone gets to place a vote for one or the other in their application, and the votes of the final group will determine our destination.
Speaking of voting, I've been toying with the idea of having some sort of "Circus Caravan Law" in place where big decisions are decided democratically and then ties are broken by the 'ringmaster' (ringmaster succession would be determined by the previous ringmaster or perhaps via vote). Other laws would include basic stuff such as not causing harm to or stealing from other circus members. As always suggestions regarding the Caravan Code are more than welcome.
Ah!! It is that evil wizard, Schrödinger! We must find the magical box of un-life he has trapped Mr. Wiggles in and free him from his undeath! Disguised as carnies we will search the Lost Lands until we have our kitty back!
Thats perfect! Lets go save Mr. Wiggles!
Looks like the support is leaning towards the Bard's Gate/Endhome side of the spectrum. I'm thinking that everyone gets to place a vote for one or the other in their application, and the votes of the final group will determine our destination.
Speaking of voting, I've been toying with the idea of having some sort of "Circus Caravan Law" in place where big decisions are decided democratically and then ties are broken by the 'ringmaster' (ringmaster succession would be determined by the previous ringmaster or perhaps via vote). Other laws would include basic stuff such as not causing harm to or stealing from other circus members. As always suggestions regarding the Caravan Code are more than welcome.
I to like the idea of a Caravan Code. We Carnies stick together!
An unusual game in an unusual setting—sounds good. (I guess voting could also help with choosing caravan ability scores and feats, if players want a hand in that).
I guess I'll check in later to see when this leads into a proper recruitment (I'm thinking a juggler/acrobat character, possibly a vanaran brawler who fights by stealing enemies' weapons and then throwing them at other enemies)
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Exclusive preview alert! First draft of the Circus/Caravan Code (which I totally didn't steal and modify from the website of some random gypsy larp)!
(2) The Circus Court has the sole authority to remove a person from the Circus. Anyone found guilty by the Circus Court loses all protection from the Circus.
(3) Only the Ringmaster may appoint or choose their successor.
(4) No Performer without good and provable cause, may cause harm or danger to another Performer. To do so will result in facing the Circus Court.
(5) Performers are family. In order to become a Performer, a person must travel with the Circus for a time observing Circus law, or be sponsored by a member of the Circus. The Performers will then vote whether to accept the candidate into the Circus.
(6) Those travelling with the Circus who are not Performers (whether they intend to be or not) are to be treated with full respect but recieve no voting power in official matters.
(7) Any fellow caravaneer is welcome to the hospitality of the Circus whenever there is need.
(8) Any outsider who is named a friend by the Ringmaster or Circus is considered an honorary Performer and is welcome to the hospitality of the camp and the loyalty and protection of the Circus.
*Applauds*
A wonderful set of guide lines!
Indeed, well said Master Stewart. To rescue the lost kittey.. or defeat the nefarious Wizard (Which ever comes fist).
Exclusive preview alert! First draft of the Circus/Caravan Code (which I totally didn't steal and modify from the website of some random gypsy larp)!
** spoiler omitted **
I like the Circus Code! Good Job!
Number three might have some issues though if the Ringmaster dies before appointing a successor though.... I motion that an amendment be added to number three that states that in the case of the Ringmaster passing away before appointing a successor (or leaving such a thing in their will) that the circus must select a New Ringleader through a diplomatic vote.