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Post date: Nov 16, 2009 5:29:28 AM
I decided that I would undertake to develop a coherent AD&D campaign, this time for serious. I've had several false starts in the past and thought that this time I would see it through to completion.
I'm making good progress by not overthinking it (relatively, for me). I decided the dwarves would resemble their Saxon roots and, as a result, they speak German. I liked the sound of Estonian and attributed that to the elves, who likewise return to their more mystical and alien Scandinavian origins. Halflings? I'm keeping them near Tolkien's cute little buggers but they will speak Filippino because it is cute and choppy like they are in my world.
I also compiled a list of resources in case I ever have to do this again. Inclusive is a comprehensive directory of historical names from around the world, a land-form generator, some NPC and room generators, and a lot of cool stuff that might also come in handy some day. I have my continent drawn out and just have to map out the climate zones over it all to determine what kind of monsters they're most likely to encounter as they go traipsing about the yet-unnamed continent.
Tonight I completed the general outline of the first adventure in the campaign. I hope I've planted several seeds for future adventures, intrigue and plot development, with this so that when it's done I'll have a dedicated group of adventurers waiting for more. This is my first real turn at DMing and I can only hope it goes well. The storytelling shouldn't be that bad, I think. The hardest bit might be finding a group that doesn't go over the top with wow-neat-o fantasy elements. I want this world to be a little grittier, a little baser, where magic doesn't exactly flourish and the dungeons are much less arbitrary.
I guess I should find some kind of resource that will describe how a medieval city operated, just in case a bakery, a butcher, a church, a brothel, and a bar aren't enough to flesh out the civilization. Oh, obviously there's a blacksmith... And that's another thing that's bugged me: monsters that are too stupid on their own to outwit low-level adventurers, and yet they appear to have fairly sophisticated textile and metalworking skills. Did they make their clothes and armor with their own clawed hands? Seems unlikely. All of this will be taken into consideration.