The Demon Verge Map

Here is the map I've created (using the free version of Hexographer) for my campaign inspired by Demonlord.

It's been stocked and keyed according to the guidelines laid out in Sine Nomine Publishing's An Echo, Resounding, a Labyrinth Lord-compatible resource that I've found extremely useful. It's a relatively simple take on the D&D "endgame" of domain management and warfare that tells GMs how to create a sandbox in easily digestible "baby steps", which is more my speed than Adventurer Conqueror King, an excellent game that packs in more economic detail than I will likely need, and which I honestly don't feel smart enough to run. After trying and failing to run a big megadungeon-based campaign, baby steps are what I need right now.

The western side of the map -- the now-weakened Duchy of D'Ansor, the Principality of Timur, and the Barony of Barthek -- is where the players will start the campaign, which is why there's a lot more detail there. (I'm calling this area "the Demon Verge", as it represents the far eastern reaches of human civilization, bordering on the Demons' empire.) If the players end up deciding to travel to the more hostile central regions, or even the Demon-ruled province of Nisshar, I will have to generate some lairs, ruins, and resources for those areas as well.

Advanced Loin-Girding

As a corollary to my doing away with weapon restrictions in old-style D&D, I'd like to suggest limiting plate armor to the fighter and dwarf classes. I know I'm not the first to think of this, but I quite like the idea. It has a few advantages, I think:

It gives a couple of classes that sometimes feel lackluster a bit of a leg up. Some will disagree that they need it, which is fair enough, but if you're using my aforementioned house rules on weapons, they open up the use of magic swords to non-fighters, which means you might want to give the grunts a bit of their edge back.

It puts an elegant Armor Class scheme for the "core four" into place, as pointed out by Brendan S:

• Magic-user, no armor, AC 9
• Thief, light armor, AC 7
• Cleric, medium armor, AC 5
• Fighter, heavy armor, AC 3

It makes the armored spellcaster classes (the elf and cleric) slightly less powerful, which suits me fine.

It avoids the "halfling hovertank" bug/feature that cropped up in the NYC Red Box B/X D&D campaign I played in (and, by extension, Labyrinth Lord). By the book in B/X, halflings can wear any armor and still receive their AC bonus versus larger opponents, which makes an agile halfling almost unhittable when engaged with typical dungeon denizens.

It makes fighters (and dwarves) look different from the other classes, which I think is nifty. If it's in plate armor and over four and a half feet tall, it's a fighter.

And if somebody complains that chain doesn't look as cool, do a Google image search for some Angus McBride artwork.

Where There's A Whip

Doing a re-read of the Demonlord rulebook, I noticed something interesting about the Dwarves.

There are neutral factions in the Demonlord wargame with whom either the good guys or the bad guys can attempt to make alliances. One of these is the Dwarven Kingdom of Ula. As I mentioned last week, when either player tries to ally with Ula, there is an equal chance of either the Dwarf King or "the Balron character" (oh, early 80s fantasy games and your wacky "I don't want to get sued by the Tolkien estate" hijinks) being in control. If it's the Balron, he can send Trolls and "slave miners" to help you out. But if it's the Dwarf King, he can send Dwarf units... and slave miners.

So it's not like it's just that the Balron is a bad dude and he's enslaved some miners. The Dwarf King does that shit too. Nobody else in the game has units described as slaves -- not even the Demonlord.

Now, I don't how you feel about slavery, but to me, that pretty much means that the Dwarves are assholes.

Also, the fact that it's "Dwarf units" and "slave miner units" strongly implies that the slaves aren't dwarves. Well, that certainly puts a different spin on the usual "humans, halflings, elves and dwarves are all basically buds" vanilla fantasy setup. I had already figured out that the Dwarves were probably not among the "semi-human allies" noted in the rulebook's introductory prose, but that pretty much clinches it.

Digging Into Demonlord

You want exegesis of obscure gaming texts? You got it.

Right now I'm working up a campaign backdrop based on the old Heritage USA/Dwarfstar Games minigame Demonlord. I've been a fan of its Charles Vess cover artwork for years, and since I discovered that it's available for free download courtesy of Reaper Miniatures, I've started revamping its lovely hexmap for my own uses. (More on that another time.) Here's a little blurb I threw together on Google+ to describe my approach:

"The latest conflict between the Demonlord's armies and the alliance of Hosar ended in a stalemate that would better be described as a mutual loss, partly due to both sides' inability to rally the neutral factions -- the Ancients, Lyung, the Altu'han cragsmen, and the forest barbarians -- in any meaningful way. 

With its failure to convincingly defeat the infernal powers of the southeastern steppe, the Hosarite religion has lost much of its sway over the people, and cults both old and new, wondrous and terrible, are re-emerging. Petty princes and bandits rise up in the place of lords disgraced or slain during the war. Monsters and vile warlocks once pressed into the Demonlord's service are now unleashed to do as they will. Into this vacuum come the player characters, looking to establish a new power in the lands where Hosar stumbled."

Thus, my setting might be described as post-Demonlord. Today, I'm combing the rules pamphlet for Demonlord for setting information. The opening text contains some interesting information about "the demon domains":

 "On Narth, once called the “continent of man”, the origins of the Demons are obscure. Some say a wizard’s summoning went out of control. Others suggest that the Demons themselves opened a magical gateway, still extent at the gate of Tor’zem, the Demonlord Capital. A few philosophers even believe that the Demons are a natural race, like humans or dwarves, except the Demons became stronger than others.

...Demons are now the power on Narth, and each Demonlord rules his own province under the Emperor. Although Demons are a tiny minority, through their great power, magic, and capacity for evil they act as captains, administrators, and governors of many lesser races such as half-men, demi-men, goblins, orcs, and other manish races of darkness."

We're told that the continent is called Narth, there are multiple Demonlords ruled by a single Emperor, and Demon provinces are not crawling with Demons, just ruled by them. The word "Demon" is consistently capitalized throughout the text, as is "Troll". "Dwarf" is also capitalized everywhere except in the first mention ("dwarves"). Oddly, none of the other races get the fancy capitalization.

I'm going to have fun figuring out what "half-men" and "demi-men" are. I also get to figure out what "other manish [sic] races of darkness" means. The use of "other" implies that all the ones mentioned thus far (including goblins and orcs) are also "manish". (Hmm... the word "human" is also not capitalized. Maybe if you're "manish" you're not a proper noun.)

"But here, humans and semi-human allies resist them, banding together under the influence of Hosar, a sun-god cult."

So, humans have "semi-human allies". You might assume that the Dwarves would be one of these, but that's unlikely to be the intent here, since in the game, either the humans or the Demons are able to strike an alliance with the Kingdom of Ula, the Dwarf region. (There's also a 50% chance that the Kingdom "is ruled by the Balron character and has the Trolls... and two slave miner... units". I guess the Dwarves dug too deeply.) So it's not the Dwarves. Who, then? Elves? Halflings? Something else?

Also, the phrasing here is interesting. It's likely that it's simply clunky grammar, but reading this literally, "Hosar" is the name of the cult, not necessarily the "sun-god" it worships. Subsequent references I've found thus far also consistently refer to either "the Hosar alliance" or "the alliance of Hosar". I'm not sure if this is worth exploring, but I did find it worthy of comment.

(Oh yeah, the blog is back.)

The Bladed Earth: Twenty Questions (Part IV)

16. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?

In Port Canciare, far to the east, there are several such arenas, and they are as brutal and horrific as one might expect.

Eremites, the supposedly accursed inhabitants of Lesserton and the surrounding environs, are well-known for their love of gambling and bizarre spectacle, including giant centipede racing and owlbear-baiting. There is no literal arena in Lesserton, but it seems likely that there would be bloodsport available to those who know where to look and how to ask.

17. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?

There are undoubtedly hidden cults and factions with foul designs upon the free lands of Cosk, but they are hidden. However, it is fashionable among the mercenary companies and delving crews of the northwest to behave as if they were secret societies, complete with strange standards, secret hand gestures, and cryptic slogans. They generally choose gloomy or grandiose titles for themselves. Their supposedly elite status is compromised by the fact that the majority of their members will generally work for anyone that will pay well enough. Among their steadily growing ranks are the aforementioned Adherents of Mandoom, the Order of Eight Demons, the Brotherhood of the Broken Crescent, the Lords of Decay, the Chartermen, the Whisperwood Consortium, the Scourge, the Bloody Ones, the Rack, the Wings of the Red Falcon, the Great Volunteers, the Council of Dying Embers, and the Wrong Men.

18. What is there to eat around here?
Northwestern Cosk is -- for now at least -- still a bountiful land, with fertile soil and abundant game. The most popular dish among the types that frequent Fulcrum is luskbread, a chewy, starchy roll filled with salted meat, most often pork or blood sausage. Though few realize it, most "Coskar" staples are local variations on Eremite and Ersisan dishes. The traditional Coskar cuisine of the region, with its odorous goat stews and bitter wines, is not widely favored by those not raised eating it.

19. Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?
Bledspar's Folly, a lost settlement located deep in the Spires of Sloine, is reputed to be filled with gems and riches the dwarfs abandoned in their haste to escape the plague or curse that struck its halls. Sailors have reported seeing a mist-shrouded, glittering castle in the deadly rocks off the southwestern shores. The Tower of Pride, from which Zaar either ascended or fell, supposedly contains great treasures, but the region surrounding it is still very much in the grip of the hobgoblins, widely known as the deadliest warriors in the isle. The ruins of the ancient city of Mor, at the base of which sits Lesserton, likewise contain untold wealth, and similar ruins are said to lie scattered throughout the Forest of Mothomb, awaiting discovery. The dungeons of Stonehell have only begun to yield their once-secret riches. The entire isle of Cosk is a treasure trove for those brave or mad enough to seek it out.

20. Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?
As mentioned previously, there are reports of a dragon and its minions terrorizing the villages on the other side of the mountains to the east, but Stonehell assuredly holds threats (and potential rewards) as great.

The Bladed Earth: Twenty Questions (Part III)

11. Where can I hire mercenaries?
Many new mercenary companies were founded from the remnants of those that accompanied Zaar during his Grand Excursion. Notorious among them are the golden-armored Adherents of Mandoom, ostentatious seekers of gold and glory who have recently begun exploring the ruins of Stonehell on their own accord, rather than in the employ of a particular master. Other, more unassuming bands of warriors-for-hire and solitary "free lances" are easily found in northwestern Cosk, particularly in Fulcrum. Many end up raiding the farming communities of the region or serving in the Mountain Wars, ceaseless feuds waged between the hill-dwelling elfin clans.

12. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed, or other any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?
Especially since the decline of Thamsh, the fall (or ascendancy) of Zaar, and the struggles in Ersis, Cosk has had a reputation as a lawless land. Among the native Coskar people, particularly the herders of the Plains of Healoth, it is considered respectable, even customary, for adult men to carry the kolsh, a combination of walking-stick and pick-axe. More heavily armed individuals are generally turned away from the gates of the port city of Glygon, but freely wander the streets of places like Fulcrum. Magic is not explicitly proscribed, but the use of manipulative or destructive spells is swiftly punished.

Today, there is no overarching legal authority in Cosk. The Iconess' forces of Law have begun to establish a sort of beachhead in the south, at the city of Cradoun, and enforce a stricter form of order there. Further east, the state of affairs is much more barbarous, as exemplified in the piratical Port Canciare and among the wretched peoples of the Wastes of Sphaurg. The Eremites, who call blighted Lesserton their home, have their own bureaucratic, codified system of laws with very specific penalties and punishments. In the northwest, however, laws are most often enforced by village headmen, according to need and old Coskar customs.

13. Which way to the nearest tavern?
Fulcrum has fine drinking establishments and foul watering holes aplenty. The Old Den, which is run by Beras Hurrow and falls somewhere between those two extremes, is a popular haunt for those that delve Stonehell.

14. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?
Sligs, whose territory was previously believed to be limited to the western lands across the Sea of Unthicor, have recently appeared on the shores of Cosk. Orcs spill forth from the Cystlands, pillaging mindlessly. Stonehell is filled to the brim with malevolent creatures. Removing any of these threats would certainly be appreciated, but would likely be temporary at best and thus might not bring instant fame. There is, however, word of a black-winged dragon (and, if rumors are to be believed, "dragon-men") menacing the villages on the other side of the Spires of Sloine.

15. Are there any wars brewing that I could go fight?
Cosk has more than its share of conflict, but if it is war one seeks, they need only sail to the rapidly splintering realm of Ersis, where King Stervak struggles to keep the throne he wrested from the grip of Thamsh decades prior, amid endless challenges from rivals, peasant uprisings, and slig raids.

The Bladed Earth: Twenty Questions (Part II)

Continuing Jeff Rients' "twenty questions" approach to fleshing out the Bladed Earth campaign:


6. Who is the richest person in the land?
Magner Vokensivian, guildmaster of the Loyal Company of Money-Lenders, based in Glygon, is reputed to be the richest man in Cosk. Indeed, his name is often used as a synonym for unimaginable wealth, as in the phrase "rich as old Magner".

7. Where can we go to get some magical healing?
Some adherents of Law, including priestesses, paladins, and clerics, are capable of magically healing others. The ranks of the Lawful in Cosk are fairly small, but growing, as increasing numbers are drawn to lance the boil of Chaos swelling there. Some are dispatched directly from the island of Ghoor-Ampava, the so-called Throne City of the Iconess, but these warriors have no set base of operations on the isle of Cosk as of yet. Thus, it is expedient to be on friendly terms with the Lawful.

For those who have sworn themselves to Chaos, or who are otherwise refused aid from the clerics and their brethren, there are other sources of healing. Cultists of Chaos are said to be able to heal the Chaotic. Shamans, most of whom dwell east of the Spires of Sloine or south in the Shandawood, are known to be capable healers as well. It is also rumored that there are old gods and master spirits that can impart knowledge of healing magic to mages, but the location of such patrons is not freely given. Finally, alchemists are able to brew healing draughts, but these often come at a hefty price.

8. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?
Poison and disease are relatively easily managed by practitioners of the trades mentioned previously, but reversing many of these magical afflictions requires powerful cures that are beyond the ability of most. Clerics, shamans, and the like that are capable of such restorations are difficult to come by. Often, those seeking such aid must travel deep into the untamed mountains or forests, or to the Throne City itself.

9. Is there a magic guild my magic-user belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?
The mages of Thamsh once had colleges in which the secrets they wrested from their slain gods and spirits were taught to those found worthy. Today, mages more often share knowledge in exchange for rare items or complex favors (or, very rarely, simple coin). Though now often reduced to little more than hedge witches and cunning-men, some of the Coskar priesthoods share old spells once learned directly from the master spirits among each other. Mages may seek out these supernatural patrons themselves, and attempt to convince (or perhaps even force) these creatures to personally instruct them in their sorcerous ways -- indeed, this is said to be one of the purposes of Zaar's Grand Excursion. One might also seek to gain knowledge of charms from the hill-dwelling elfin clans (or even the arts of illusion from the twisted creatures called gnomes) but these are risky propositions in many more ways than one.

10. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?
Adventurers seeking a skilled alchemist in Fulcrum are well-advised to employ the services of Culmoush & Thrayseeder, who find the availability of otherwise obscure ingredients due to their proximity to Stonehell a boon to their practice. The pair are not as risk-averse as many of their colleagues, which can occasionally yield unpredictable results, but often at bargain prices.

The interests of sages in Fulcrum tend to be of somewhat narrow focus, specifically on the local lore of the region and the history of Cosk. Experts in other disciplines are more easily found in Glygon.