New Campaign - Return to Baledar

[D'karr]

Last month saw the first session of the new campaign with my long term gaming group.

I needed a new area, and map to start the game. So I decided to "steal" from ideas that were already there. Here's the map to the new area. This is a modified map of Harkenwold the community that appears in the 4e DM's Kit.

I've already added Tharbensford, the western village that I'm going to use for the campaign kick-off (not part of the original map). As I expand this map to encompass more areas of exploration I'll keep posting updates.

If you have any ideas for me to "steal" for this campaign, please feel free to post them here for the entire forums to use.



You can read more about this campaign, as well as my "deep" DM thoughts on my blog here on Loremaster.

Feel free to comment here, or on the blog.

[Matt James]

Sweet! Did you use Campaign Cartographer for the map?

[D'karr]

Yes, I use Campaign Cartographer almost exclusively for my maps now. I might do things as hand drawings first but I usually end up moving them to CC. This one was mostly a trace of the Harkenwold map with the addition of Tharbensford to the left.

[D'karr]

Here's a short writeup for the campaign's starting community. Since this is a home-brew world the gods will be different, though their D&D equivalent is also listed to make reference easier.

Tharbernsford
Population: 85
Nestled at the edge of the White River and the Harken Forest, the small community of Tharbensford is located on the easternmost boundary of the communities known as Harkenwold.

The community’s main source of income is the timber from logging operations on the edge of the Harken Forest. This timber is moved down and up river to various communities using barges and other methods.
The village is led by a local council that decides day-to-day issues, and a bi-yearly town meeting is held to decide long term decisions. The people of Tharbensford are very independent, and hardy. They do not answer to the bigger communities of Harkenwold, but in times of trouble a militia of about 20 men can be raised to answer the call of duty.

Life is simple in Tharbensford, but it has grown dangerous. Several of the local axe-men talk of shadows moving along the northern edges of the Harken. This has led to talks of goblins in the woods. A few axe-men have gone missing on the western Harken, and one of the logging operations in that area has all but ceased because of the mysterious disappearances.

Personalities
Brother Echard – Priest of the old faiths (Follower of Aemahar (Erathis)). Shrine of the Lightbringer (Aemahar)
Kileen Loman – Town leader (Triune Council) – Logging Foreman
Wilmox Reed – Town leader (Triune Council) – Owner of The Wallowing Bear tavern
Akel (Dragonborn) – Town leader (Triune Council) - Blacksmith
Reena Wildhair (elf) – Crossing Barge Operator