West Marches campaigns seem to be the new cool thing to do these days. Any thoughts on where a decent starting point in the Realms would be for such a campaign?
I feel like I'm off in my own little bubble - what is West Marches? (I keep seeing the term and I just assumed it was it's own campaign setting like Greyhawk or FR?)
I feel like I'm off in my own little bubble - what is West Marches? (I keep seeing the term and I just assumed it was it's own campaign setting like Greyhawk or FR?)
This video from Matthew Colville came out last month that does a good job of giving an overview of it, as well as some links for reference.
West? Well in FR west is the Sword coast. Major cities are Waterdeep, Neverwinter, Baldus' Gate. Or places a bit more wild are The Icewind Dale in the North, or the Heartlands in the south.
I put mine in Southwood. Pretty good mix of terrain types, close enough to Waterdeep that people don't feel completely disconnected from the setting but far enough out that they feel like it's actual wilderness. Then again, I also put in a huge lake that isn't actually part of the canon map.
I would probably set such a game in the area currently known as the Hordelands/the Endless Wastes. There's enough of it that you could carve off a piece and put whatever you wanted there.
For something with a little more civilisation I would probably go for Arnaden, which is the area around the Lake of Steam. This is a fairly wild area with isolated city states.
Alternatively, do what I did - go further afield. Faerun is just one continent, and there's a lot less established material for the others, giving you a lot of creative freedom. My current tabletop campaign is all about the discovery and settlement of mythical Osse.
Starting in frontier regions like Neverwinter or Silverymoon are great options as both cities have everything a fledgling group could need without being overwhelming like Waterdeep.
West of Faerun. There is a region over there somewhere.
Eventually you reach Revonar, or is it Maztica I forget. Folks I wouldn't sweat it over being called the 'West' Marches and just place it somewhere you find convenient in whichever world you prefer. I mean who knows who named it, I just wouldn't put it on the far eastern coast.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
West of Faerun. There is a region over there somewhere.
Eventually you reach Revonar, or is it Maztica I forget. Folks I wouldn't sweat it over being called the 'West' Marches and just place it somewhere you find convenient in whichever world you prefer. I mean who knows who named it, I just wouldn't put it on the far eastern coast.
If the world is round, then every place except the North Pole and the South Pole is west of somewhere.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
The point of West Marches style of play has nothing to do with direction. It simply is a style of game where the players decide where they want to go, what they want to accomplish, and when they are available to play. They advise the DM of these things, and the DM prepares notes to run the game. It's the epitome of a sandbox campaign.
So, in answer to the OP's questions... wherever the players want to start.
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"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
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West Marches campaigns seem to be the new cool thing to do these days. Any thoughts on where a decent starting point in the Realms would be for such a campaign?
I feel like I'm off in my own little bubble - what is West Marches? (I keep seeing the term and I just assumed it was it's own campaign setting like Greyhawk or FR?)
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Wary the wizard who focuses on homebrew, for he can create nightmares that you wouldn't even dream of
I'd bring Thunder Rift up to date with 5e, plop it in the dragonspine, and go from there.
Current Character: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/User:Kydo/Ideas
West? Well in FR west is the Sword coast. Major cities are Waterdeep, Neverwinter, Baldus' Gate. Or places a bit more wild are The Icewind Dale in the North, or the Heartlands in the south.
I put mine in Southwood. Pretty good mix of terrain types, close enough to Waterdeep that people don't feel completely disconnected from the setting but far enough out that they feel like it's actual wilderness. Then again, I also put in a huge lake that isn't actually part of the canon map.
I would probably set such a game in the area currently known as the Hordelands/the Endless Wastes. There's enough of it that you could carve off a piece and put whatever you wanted there.
For something with a little more civilisation I would probably go for Arnaden, which is the area around the Lake of Steam. This is a fairly wild area with isolated city states.
http://www.pocketplane.net/volothamp/images/faerunlarge.jpg
Alternatively, do what I did - go further afield. Faerun is just one continent, and there's a lot less established material for the others, giving you a lot of creative freedom. My current tabletop campaign is all about the discovery and settlement of mythical Osse.
Starting in frontier regions like Neverwinter or Silverymoon are great options as both cities have everything a fledgling group could need without being overwhelming like Waterdeep.
West of Faerun. There is a region over there somewhere.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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The point of West Marches style of play has nothing to do with direction. It simply is a style of game where the players decide where they want to go, what they want to accomplish, and when they are available to play. They advise the DM of these things, and the DM prepares notes to run the game. It's the epitome of a sandbox campaign.
So, in answer to the OP's questions... wherever the players want to start.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?