Sandbox Experiment

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Contents

Inspiration

Goals for Play

  • There is no regular time: every session is scheduled by the players on the fly.
  • There is no regular party: each game will consist of different players drawn from a pool.
  • There is no regular plot: The players decide where to go and what to do. This is partly to take some of the pressure off the DM for developing the plot – and partly to put a different kind of pressure on the DM to avoid procrastination.
  • The PCs are special – They are the only people crazy enough to be career adventurers.
  • The PCs are NOT special – PCs don't get any special treatment because they are PCs. They have no predestination to greatness – Renown is only achieved through accomplishment.
  • The DM doesn't pull punches – If your 1st level Fighter decides to barge into a EL14 adventure area, he will die a quick and painful death.
  • The DM is required to provide information to allow PCs to choose appropriate locations to assault – but the PCs are also required to do a little homework to get the best information.

Player Rules

  • All adventures are based out of Ardalest, a mid-sized town on the frontier. It is up to the Players to return their characters to a safe location between adventures.
  • Each player may have more than one character – but may only play one character per session. Players can create new characters, but every new character will start at one-half the level of the player's highest level character, or first level (player's choice).
  • Players are strongly encouraged to coordinate back-stories and relationship with other PCs. In addition, the world is only loosely defined - so players are strongly encouraged to develop their own background material. The World DM still has some veto power, but pretty much any reasonable idea should be approved, or at least discussed. "Take the ball and run with it"
  • Players are strongly encouraged to develop their own goals and agendas. This extends beyond the usual campaign models in that a Player can dictate the direction of a storyline, allowing the PC to direct play.
    • Example #1: Thorgar the Barbarian wants to one day become the clan leader of his tribe – he sets goals to prove his strength in combat, demonstrate his superior leadership skills and cunning, and finally eliminate the threat of a rival tribe of orcs.
    • Example #2: Alusair the Dashing has an ongoing romance with Thora the Buxom Barmaid – he decides he'd like to see poor Thora get kidnapped, so that he can rescue her. He presents the idea on the boards, and his good friend Thorgar chooses to hang around and help out.
  • Players are strongly encouraged to document their play sessions on the message boards or the wiki. The DM (at his option) may post synopses of play, but is not required to do so.
  • Scheduling – Negotiated by players on the message boards, the players can choose any day/time they like, with two caveats:
    • The DM has to be available that day – I plan to be available evenings and weekends, with few exceptions.
    • The DM has to know in advance where you plan on going. Figure at least two days notice for areas that already exist, or as much as a two week notice for areas that aren't included.

World Background

  • Campaign Questionnaire - Sandbox
  • Magical war/Demonrage took place over 100 years ago – things have only recently settled down. As a result, most uses of magic are looked upon with fear and suspicion. The war ended at the Second Battle of Caemlynn Field - Dux Rhaegar, Prince of Petra was slain by the Demon Lord Vathiraxxis, but not before the Demon Lord was mortally wounded, and the demon armies were banished back to the Abyss
  • The Petran Empire once held sway over this region, but after the War, the Empire was reduced to a small corner near the capital of Petra. Tairenfell (a large city two weeks travel to the SE) was only recently reintegrated into the Empire.
  • The Dwarves were relatively untouched by the War, having retreated to their mountain holdfasts at the start of hostilities. The great city of Moradukr still stands, but many of the smaller holdfasts were lost.
  • The Elven/Eladrin capital city of Tyrfyron was utterly destroyed during the war, making the entire elven race into refugees. Rumors persist that some dark force has moved in, or that the last Eladrin Queen still haunts the ruins as a ghost
  • Given the low level of commerce in the world, magic items can neither be bought nor sold. A player may commission a work from a capable caster, and PC casters can as well
  • Halflings live as nomads, like gypsies or river-folk. The Petran Empire enslaved many halflings, and some are still enslaved.
  • Tieflings have had no real homeland since the fall of Bael Turath, centuries ago. There is still substantial prejudice against them, especially since the Demonrage.
  • Dragonborn are renowned sailors, but like the Tieflings, they have been unable to reclaim the glory of their fallen empire, Arkhosia. It was a small enclave of Dragonborn who originally founded Ardalest, allying with the local humans (Tarrnish) - Arkhosia was famous for their Laws, and for their flying ships and flying citadels, but it has been centuries since anyone has seen either ship or citadel
  • Tarnnish Line of Kings, forced out by the Petrans - Stone of Scone/Regalia, captured by the Petrans, strewn over the region - collecting it can allow the Kings to take over again - Legend of the Old Kings, how the New King(s) will come back to power
  • Petrans hate dragons and hunt them down, convinced most of the locals to do the same. The local Tarrnish, however, are on good terms with the Dragonborn and revere dragons

Locations

  • Ardalest
  • Sunken Citadel - a long forgotten fortress has been swallowed in a great rift, just south of Ardalest.
  • Winterhaven - small village SE of Ardalest, overlooked by the Keep on the Shadowfell
  • Ironfang Keep - an ancient, impregnable fortress. Rumor holds that a great treasure lies within. South of Glenock Point, overlooking Baylin Firth
  • Seven Snows Monastery - Rystari, ageless Mother Serene – think Darkover Towers and Nevarsin Monastery, Githzerai sensei
  • Caemlynn Fields - Great battlefield, roaming undead, ghosts, Ghost of great warrior Dux Rhaegar of the X Legion challenges heroes to single combat for ownership of his great sword
  • Tairenfell - Large Petran city several days south of Ardalest
  • Moradukr - Isolated Dwarven Citadel – Kingdom, On good terms with High Lord Thirden Emberlake of Castle Kilarn
    • New Dwarven King is one of the main proponents of the treaty with Thirden, the Old King was a staunch ally of Dux Rhaegar (Caemlyn Fields) and fought by his side – died in the battle? Once aligned with the Tarrnish Kings?
    • Primary source of masterwork weapons/armor
    • Long Falls – dwarven controlled dam, releases water into the Tlir River (inlet off Baylin Firth), hides the dwarven port – dwarven “ironclads” magical vessels without sails or oars, bound elementals
  • Old Forest - Massive forest, once the center of a powerful elven realm (Tyrfyron) and a stronghold of the fey races (dryads, nymphs, centaurs, treants)
    • Tyrfyron has fallen into shadow, and can only be reached by those with the proper knowledge, passing through the veil from St Alban's Monastery (think Glastonbury + Avalon, Lady of the Lake – Elven Queen/Priestess of the Old Religion?)
    • Evil elves have started reclaiming sections of the Old Forest – spider worshippers
    • Nasty old witch – maybe taken over Tyrfyron? Witch of the Woods
  • Mistmarsh - Cold swamp at the base of Winter's Heart Glacier, inhabited by lizardmen and dragonspawn
  • Glenock Point - Small village just north of Ironfang Keep, along the coast to the east of Ardalest
  • Mount Avilar - Volcano in the center of Winter's Heart Glacier
    • Lair of a powerful dragon
    • Lost dwarven city of Gimdamalk - great holdfast, lost contact with the rest of the world after the Demonrage
  • Winter's Heart Glacier - Massive glacier across Baylin Firth – inhabited by Giants
    • Frozen fortress held by an ancient undead wizard
  • Irontown - slavers, forced labor, mining, associated with Castle Kilarn
  • Coldstream Bloomery - Associated with Castle Kilarn – smelting of the ores recovered from Irontown
  • Castlegard - Northernmost Petran fortress, recently overrun by hobgoblins from the Howling Moor
  • Howling Moor - Giants, monsters, werewolves
    • Tower of evil fleshcrafter wizard
  • Castle Kilarn - Ruled by a hard human warlord – High Lord Thirden Emberlake Maximus, Duke of the Northern March, Grand Marshal of the Fourteenth Legion, Earl of Skold Sound (and a string of other honorifics) – slowly establishing dominion over the north by taking slaves from other areas and forcing them to work in the mines of Irontown or Coldstream Bloomery. Has made an non-aggression pact with the dwarves of Moradukr, and regularly hire or presses into service various humanoids, including hobgoblins and gnolls.
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