Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Thread Started on Aug 13, 2012, 5:48pm »
I'm going to be starting up a new campaign this coming weekend, and I've decided to use the Wilderlands as the setting; this will be my first time using JG material beyond the RRS. At the moment the plan is to use Fortress Badabaskor as the home base, and drop B1 and the Caves of Chaos from B2 nearby.
What have people's experiences with Badabaskor been like? The dungeons look pretty tough. Also, does anyone have suggestions for other low/mid-level modules that would work well in the region? I'm being a totally lazy Ref at the moment and don't feel like drawing or stocking anything, so for this game it's modules all the way.
And what have you done with Badabaskor, and Barbarian Altanis? I'd love to hear stories!
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 67 Location: Los Angeles, California Karma: 0
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #1 on Aug 13, 2012, 10:28pm »
I had the party masquerading as bad guys, staying at the Badabaskor 'village' and sniffing around. They made forays into the mountain and looted various. Had a blast.
They also marauded through Altanis, dealing with one village's current situation after another, encountering nomadic Altanian groups here and there. Mostly the politics of how this one and that one interacted. They sort of became involved with the Black Baron of Black Baron Pass, which led to some quests.
The basic mechanism to get them travelling down in Altanis was following a treasure map to a major dungeon (in this case it was Caverns of Thracia).
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #2 on Aug 15, 2012, 6:51pm »
I'd place Badabaskor on the west side of the City-State map, among the foothills of the Majestic Mountains. The Keep on the Borderlands would be a fortress established to keep control of the Rorystone Road, its castellan a paladin exiled to the isolated post for some political gaffe (an idea not original with me, but one that I thought intriuging).
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #3 on Aug 16, 2012, 6:00pm »
I don't know if this was the 'designated location' of Badabaskor, but I placed the Fortress on the peninsula south of City-State (don't recall the exact location at the moment). IIRC, I located it 3 or 4 days travel distance away from City-State: close enough that the bandits occupying the Fortress were able to disrupt trade caravans traveling south from City-State, but far enough away that the Invincible Overlord couldn't (or wouldn't) send his own force down to the region to take care of things.
As written, the adventure isn't for the low level party or the feint of heart. There are some pretty high level challenges sprinkled throughout the fortress that will mop the place up with PCs lower than about 5th level. For our group, I used the d20 version that Goodman Games released, ret-coned to First Edition AD&D, and then dialed up to challenge PCs of levels 10-13. The 'final level' (which wasn't the lowest level of the dungeon as written) spanned two extended sessions of about 8 hours apiece. And but for a couple of well timed teleport and dimension door spells, the high level PCs were headed for an honest to goodness TPK!
We played Badabaskor over the course of about a year (real time), playing 4-5 hours every other weekend. It was a great addition to our long-running Wilderlands campaign.
For starting a low level Wilderlands campaign, I might pick one of the Wilderlands series books - there were five of them: Shield Maidens of Sea Rune, Pirates of Hagroost, Mines of Custalacon, Spies of Lightelf and Witches Court Marshes - and try to work one of them into the campaign. They each take one or two specific hexes on the maps and provide village level details for running a sandbox style game in the Wilderlands. Those are all available in pdf format through RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.
For starting a low level Wilderlands campaign, I might pick one of the Wilderlands series books - there were five of them: Shield Maidens of Sea Rune, Pirates of Hagroost, Mines of Custalacon, Spies of Lightelf and Witches Court Marshes - and try to work one of them into the campaign. They each take one or two specific hexes on the maps and provide village level details for running a sandbox style game in the Wilderlands. Those are all available in pdf format through RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.
Different Worlds still has new print copies of The Spies of Lightelf ($4.95), Shield Maidens of Sea Rune ($6.98) and Witches Court Marshes ($6.98.)
Different Worlds comes up in conversation here, from time to time, chiefly due to their seemingly endless print copy supply of the Ready Ref Sheets. Available for $2.99 each!
Print copies of Hagrost can be picked up on ebay for around $10. Not sure what Mines is currently going for, but I think it's around $20.
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #5 on Aug 17, 2012, 3:53pm »
In your shoes, I'd start the party out at the Keep on the Borderlands…
The Castellan of Borderer Keep has sent letter after letter to the Invincible Overlord, beseeching his liege for the additional troops needed to secure the Rorystone Road running between the city and the Dwarf-king’s castle of Thunderhold. His pleas have seemingly fallen on deaf ears, intercepted by agents of his enemies and replaced with entirely different reports. The region is rife with brigandage, and hell-spawned monsters haunt the ruins of once-prosperous villages.
When the Castellan hears of adventurers visiting the keep, he takes their arrival as a sign from the gods themselves. While the party’s help might bolster the Keep’s defenses, the Castellan instead hopes to encourage a dramatic raid against the humanoid raiders mustering in a nearby valley. He sends a trusted lieutenant to contact the strange party, covertly assessing their abilities and motives, then planting the suggestion that they ought to raid the bandit enclave.
Within Borderer Keep, evil awaits. The party’s victories over the humanoids of the Caves of Chaos inspire a hidden enemy to treacherous deeds. An evil priest and his sinister acolytes pose as innocent townsfolk, but actually serve a bloodthirsty cult in the City-State. Eager to see the Castellan brought low, they continue to sabotage the party’s efforts until they are unmasked.
Once the players want a change of pace, the Castellan urges the party northward. They get a taste of adventure near Byrny and Trollslore.
The smiths of Byrny have prepared a shipment for Borderer Keep, weapons and armor meant for the Castellan’s troops. Unfortunately, rumor has reached the Castellan that his enemies have planted agents among the troops of his household. He needs the party’s help to ensure that the shipment arrives safely.
Having settled the threat of humanoid raids, the party is ready for a new challenge:
Somewhere in the wilderness lies Quasqueton, hidden stronghold of the Two Champions. Once the redoubt of two mighty heroes, it supposedly holds secrets the Overlord (or his enemies) would pay dearly to keep safe. The party must race to find it, for a new power is rising to the West: A would-be bandit lord in the ancient fortress-town of Badabaskor. Rumored to hold a warrant issued by the distant World Emperor of Viridistan himself, the Invincible Overlord hesitates to strike against him lest the incident trigger a war he’s not prepared to fight. On the other hand, if a band of rootless adventurers were to discommode the bandits, no one could be blamed…
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 67 Location: Los Angeles, California Karma: 0
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #6 on Aug 17, 2012, 10:04pm »
Nicely done, Sirwulf!
I will eventually introduce my daughter to the Wilderlands. I might just start in the City State, or maybe Modron. There's a lot going on there, and I think she'd like the underwater component. I also like Thunderhold, can't go wrong with dwarves.
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #8 on Sept 20, 2012, 1:25am »
I recently joined a game as a Fisherman Bandit from the Moonraker Moor (with some Raglaroon in the woodpile).
I added a fallen clan of Raglaroon traders mocked as the sea gypsies trading in long boats up the smaller rivers who tried to row across the rivers of the Dearthwood and trade weapons to the hill and swamp men at the crossing of the Rorystone road and Eorlbane river
Oh and the Sea Gypsy Witches make magical Raglaroon Macaroons
Re: Suggestions for starting a Wilderlands game? « Reply #9 on Sept 21, 2012, 7:15pm »
Quote:
Oh and the Sea Gypsy Witches make magical Raglaroon Macaroons
How do they compare to the famous Sea Rune Macaroons?
You'd best take care, if you plan to add magical snacks to the game. Soon your rotund adventurers will find themselves gorging upon Byrny Brownies and Trollslore S'mores, until they finally need to gulp down a Barbarian Altani-seltzer.
![[Home]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/home.gif "[Home]")
![[New Topics]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/topics.png "[New Topics]")
![[Help]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/help.gif "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/search.gif "[Search]")
![[Login]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/login.gif "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/register.gif "[Register]")
![[Search This Thread]](http://images.proboards.com/search2.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Share Topic]](http://images.proboards.com/new/buttons/share.png "[Share Topic]")
![[Print]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Author
![[avatar]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b203/Morandir/Morandir.jpg "[avatar]")
Logged![[avatar]](http://images.proboards.com/avatars/devil.gif "[avatar]")
![[homepage]](http://images.proboards.com/buttons/www_sm.gif "[homepage]")
![[avatar]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIGeq9D8APs/UUSXldBtiCI/AAAAAAAAEiQ/eM8iLi_zT7k/s320/100100.JPG "[avatar]")