Tuesday, June 21, 2011

need a campaign map?

The board from the old Task Force game City States of Arklyrell would do the trick nicely.  Dig it:


I don't actually own this game.  Every few months or so I search through boardgamegeek.com for cool maps.  Anyway, here are some reasons to like this map:
  • The hexes are numbered, which is the key to stocking a wilderness sandbox.
  • Look at all those opportunities for seagoing adventure!
  • Check out those light blue land hexes with the squat buildings on them.  The key says the magic item chits start there.  Those are the most famous dungeons/ruins in the realm.
  • Roc's nets are marked on the map!  That's fantastic!  That's an instant hook for the campaign world right there: everyone lives in the shadows of these giant flying predators.  In Basic/Expert D&D rocs grow up to 36 hit dice in size, way bigger than most monsters.  Even dragons skulk about when B/X rocs are on the hunt.
Given that the whole map sits between the Frozen North and Scorching South, you'd probably want to use a scale larger than 1 hex equals 5 miles.

7 comments:

  1. another good one ... barbarian prince

    no sea hexes, but lots of ruins scattered all over the map

    and the hexes are numbered

    plus the map is online

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  2. Awesome! I started making my B/X City States of Arklyrell campaign about 8 years ago when I found a copy of the minigame for super cheap. In fact I have an extra, would you like it?

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  3. Anonymous3:17 PM

    And if you make this part of a planet with synchronous rotation in regards to it's star, you can make the hexes 5 mile hexes and the map the small twilight area of eternal dusk (or dawn) and relative temperateness.

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  4. Sleepy Voiced: I'd love one! Shoot me an email (jrients at gmail etc) and I'll send you my address. Also please share some info on your campaign with us!

    rorschachhamster: Excellent suggestion for a tiny campaign.

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  5. Not much to say about the campaign, like so many it didn't survive its infancy. We played a few sessions (in Keep on the Borderlands)and my players decided they wanted to return to 3E Greyhawk. They never even learned they were on Arklyrell!

    I noticed similar adventure possibilities, seagoing campaigns, Rocs were the big danger, etc.

    I intended to use the temples as difficult to access oracles and the only places Raise Dead magics would work. The Oracles would be able to give cryptic clues to the famous magic items associated with CSoA.

    I filled a chunk of a notebook with ideas, I should try to find it.

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  6. the map in the Chaosium/Avalon Hill edition of Dragon Pass is hexed, numbered, and gorgeous. there's a fantastic high-res scan on bgg.

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  7. And if you make this part of a planet with synchronous rotation in regards to it's star, you can make the hexes 5 mile hexes and the map the small twilight area of eternal dusk (or dawn) and relative temperateness.

    That idea is pure awesome.

    ReplyDelete