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    Canonfire :: View topic - B series, where would you put it
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    B series, where would you put it
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    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Feb 16, 2005 10:33 am  
    B series, where would you put it

    Probably been discussed before, but where did you put the B series in Greyhawk? I'm intrested to see how everyone thought these should be placed. I have a new group of folks playing and will be starting them off in a few of them. Of course we all know that B2 will have to be the first Happy .


    Maraudar
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    Wed Feb 16, 2005 11:09 am  

    In addition to posing this question here in general discussions, I would recommend also posting it to the Old Lore D&D folder here on Canonfire! forums. Darva's project is all about adapting Basic D&D materials to Greyhawk, so this kind of question is perfect for them. Smile
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Feb 16, 2005 11:40 am  

    Let's see, where did I drop the B's...

    B1 I dropped in the Lortmils, about 30 miles north-west of Thunderstrike on the new Dungeon map. I've never seen anything saying where it belonged in Greyhawk, so anywhere would work. I dropped it where my low-level players could get at it fairly easily. Ulek, Keoland, and Celene are a lot safer for new parties than Pomarj, Shield Lands or old Aerdy.

    B2 I dropped in the Yeomanary. I think the "Return" version actually had a hex location on the Darlene map (in the Yeomanary), but I don't have that publication with me at the moment. I think it was in the Tors/Dreadwood/Good Hills area, though. Accessable for new parties, and plenty of tie-ins to other "classic" modules (D and G Series) could be dropped in the area.

    B3 I dropped in the Wild Coast west of Elredd, though I've never found an "official" location for it in Greyhawk. Since so many of the creatures in the module have no 3.0 or 3.5 equivalent, I swapped them out rather than make up a whole ecology for a handful of weak races. This one is tougher for the new parties to get at, but with the swaps I made it's also a little tougher adventure (2-4th level).

    I don't own any of the other B-Series modules, so I haven't placed them. Though I agree with you, I think it'd be interesting to see where other folks placed these.
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    Adept Greytalker

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    Wed Feb 16, 2005 11:40 am  

    hmmm... honestly I would probably have them scattered across the flanaess... but I think I could find a way to put them all in the same geographical area to make a consistant campaign... lemme see.

    B1 In search of the Unkown: The module itself suggests a location in either Ratik, Tehn, or the Pale... however I am going to place it in the Bleemu Hills in the bonemarch, the only change that i will make to the module is the background, indicating that Zelligar and Rogahn have been gone for a longer time and that Quesqueton was active back when the great kingdom was first settling the bonemarch area.

    B2 The Keep on the Borderlands: we will put this on a small tributary of the tessertorent between redfalls and Knurl. The caves of chaos will be filled with humaniods that have crossed the tesser torrent from the bone march and are incroaching on North Kingdom territory.

    B3 Palace of the Silver Princess: We will place the valley of Haven in the southern Rakers, near where they merge with the flinty hills.

    B4 THe Lost City: This is the only one that will realy feel out of place, since it takes place in the middle of a vast desert... still with a lot of work we could make it playable, putting it in the Bonemarch, the Adri Forest, the Rakers or the Flinty Hills.

    B5 Horror on the Hill: I would place the small village of Guido's fort on the tessertorrent either between knurl and redfalls once again or else north of redfalls... I would place it right on the river and make "the hill" be across the river in the bonemarch.

    B6 The Veiled Society: this adventure takes place in a city, Youc ould use bellport, or with some modification of the map that comes with the module you could use Knurl or even Eastfair.

    B7 Rahasia: We will place this adventure which has much to do with elves in the Adri Forest.

    B8 Journy to the rock: we can set "the rock" in the flinty hills and not have any problems.

    B9 Castle Caldwell and Beyond: This has 4 adventures, which I will deal with seperatly.

    Caldwells castle/dungeons of terror: This will work nearly any place... what ever town the characters use as a base of opperations for the most part can be where Caldwell approaches them (Even while they are working on other adventures in this series, such as the keep on the borderlands or guido's fort), and his tiny castle can be anyplace near by.

    The Abduction of Princess Sylvia: I feel that this is the weakest adventure in the module, and the hardest to place... if you lower Sylvia's station somewhat, she could be the daughter of North Kingdom noble, perhaps from Stringen or Bellport.

    The Great Escape: works best if those that capture the characters are operatives of a an evil Noprth Kingdom noble, or perhaps a band of evil human living as outlaws in the Bonemarch... if you want to do some extensive changes you could even change the guards to bonemarch humaniods.

    Elwyn's Sanctuary: I would place her fortress in the Bleemu hills in the bonemarch (although not to near where I put Quasqueton)... as for Elwyn herslf I would make her a disgruntled cleric of heironeous who has betrayed her god and converted to the worship of Hextor.

    B10 Nights Dark Terror: I would place in various places around the north-western North Kingdom, southern Bonemarch, Knurl area... with the Lost Valley of Huutakan being found in the southern Rakers.

    B11 Kings Festival: This adventure could take place virtualy anyplace in the North Kingdom, lets put it on a road between Stringen and Edgefield.

    B12 Queens Harvest: this adventure is a direct sequal and takes place in the same general area as B11.

    well there you go... what do you think? :)
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:05 am  

    FirePower wrote:
    B2 I dropped in the Yeomanary. I think the "Return" version actually had a hex location on the Darlene map (in the Yeomanary), but I don't have that publication with me at the moment. I think it was in the Tors/Dreadwood/Good Hills area, though. Accessable for new parties, and plenty of tie-ins to other "classic" modules (D and G Series) could be dropped in the area.


    To begin with, let's say I am french, so pardon my english.

    I want to start a Greyhawk campaign with B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands, and I wonder if there is any canon reference to its actual location on the Darlene map.

    Does anybody know the hex number, if there is one ?

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge !
    Master Greytalker

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    Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:56 am  

    Quote:
    Galliskinmaufrius
    I want to start a Greyhawk campaign with B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands, and I wonder if there is any canon reference to its actual location on the Darlene map.

    Does anybody know the hex number, if there is one ?


    I don't have the original Keep of the Borderlands, but I do have the Return to the Keep of the Borderlands. No specific hex is listed but you can narrow the search down to either N5-133 or O5-133 of the Darlene maps, given this quote from the module:

    If you're using the World of Greyhawk setting, the Keep should be located in the southwesternmost part of the Yeomanry, a lordless land of freehold farmers shielded by monster-haunted mountains from the great desert beyond."

    Given this information, I would interpret it that either hex N5-133 or O5-133 would the the apropriate choices. The hexes I listed are taken from the boxed set From the Ashes which provides Darlene maps.

    The 4 poster map of Greyhawk from Dragon magazine indicates that the town of Westburn would be located in hex O5-133 next to the mountains and in hex N5-133 the town of Dark Gate when comparing to the Darlene maps. The Living Greyhawk material states that Westburn has a population of 2500 while Dark Gate's pop. is 550. The Living Greyhawk information states this about Dark Gate:

    No town has received as much interest in the Yeomanry over the last decade as Dark Gate. It is located in a lightly-wooded area just north of the Hellfurnaces some 12 miles southwest of Westburn. In 579 CY, a tunnel was discovered at the foot of the mountains that reportedly ran for miles to emerge in the Sea of Dust leagues to the west. Furthermore, the tunnel was rumored to link with deep, subterranean caverns that held indescribable horrors and amazing treasures. In 590 CY, adventurers appeared in town with armor and weapons made of strange black metal that disintegrated within days. But with tales of other great riches and wondrous magic laying beyond the entrance to the passage, many have come to test their fortunes. As such, Dark Gate was created, in a short span of only a few years, as a sort of frontier town that catered to the wants and needs of those who wished to explore the tunnel, named the Passage of Slerotin.

    Dark Gate has brought increased attention from all around Oerth to the Yeomanry, and much of it is unwanted. Agents from the Scarlet Brotherhood, the Empire of Iuz, and elsewhere have been discovered in and near the town. Adventurers from everywhere have turned the town into a wild, almost lawless region where those who have the coin can get almost anything. Treasures, both major and minor, have trickled in from the tunnel, and this only enhances the excitement and attention that both the town and the Yeomanry have received over the last decade.

    In addition, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer states this about Dark Gate:

    All thirty-eight inhabitants of a small village ten miles from Dark Gate disappeared two months ago, with no clues as to their abductors or current whereabouts.

    I included this additonal information in case you would like to add it to your Keep of the Borderlands adventure or to provide the PCs with something afterwards which allows them to remain within a few miles of the Keep.

    Hope this helps and happy adventuring!
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    Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:04 am  

    I'm far too lazy to try and cross-reference the hex grid coordinates, but I placed the Keep on the Borderlands in the westernmost hex of the Tors. My Quasqueton is in the low Rakers, east of Wintershiven, and the Palace of the Silver Princess will probably be in the northern Iron Hills, if and when I run B3.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:57 am  

    It is my idea to put the Keep near the exit of the Passage of Slerotin, but beginning in CY 576, the passage would not be open yet.

    It could be that the Keep is to become that (in)famous Dark Gate wild town. What do you think ?
    Master Greytalker

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    Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:03 am  

    Galliskinmaufrius

    Quote:
    It is my idea to put the Keep near the exit of the Passage of Slerotin, but beginning in CY 576, the passage would not be open yet.

    It could be that the Keep is to become that (in)famous Dark Gate wild town. What do you think ?


    This seems like a reasonable direction to take. I have no idea what information was or wasn't in the original module. According to the Return to version:

    "The official name of the Keep is "Kendall Keep"; the lord who built it named the place after a deceased adventuring partner. However, residents and travelers alike universally know it merely as "The Keep".

    Depending up your taste for canon, you may decide to find a reason for the change in name. I don't have any addtional details on Dark Gate so it can certainly become whatever best suits your campaign. The only other note I found was that the Keep was built 30 years ago and over the years has become "small but thriving community once more".
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    Eileen of Greyhawk, Prophet of Istus, Messenger of the Gods
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    Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:44 pm  

    I have just found this reference in Oerth Journal n° 11 : in Russ Taylor's article "Repair of the Keep on the Borderlands".

    [Kendall Keep is in fact located in the southeastern Yeomanry, in Hex E5/1: just north of the Tors, and west of the Javan River. The Keep is near trade routes to the Hold of the Sea Princes and Keoland, but near enough to threats from the Hool Marshes and the Tors to make it mostly undesirable land.] The exact hex number should be E5/129.

    I found it very interesting, albeit non canon...
    Master Greytalker

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    Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:56 am  

    Galliskinmaufrius wrote:
    I have just found this reference in Oerth Journal n° 11 : in Russ Taylor's article "Repair of the Keep on the Borderlands".

    [Kendall Keep is in fact located in the southeastern Yeomanry, in Hex E5/1: just north of the Tors, and west of the Javan River. The Keep is near trade routes to the Hold of the Sea Princes and Keoland, but near enough to threats from the Hool Marshes and the Tors to make it mostly undesirable land.] The exact hex number should be E5/129.

    I found it very interesting, albeit non canon...


    Don't ya just love discrepancies from one product to another!!!!
    Oh well!!!
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    Eileen of Greyhawk, Prophet of Istus, Messenger of the Gods
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    Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:54 am  

    Maybe, I do...

    But these discrepancies make me feel free to situate the Keep in the best place that suits my campaign.

    Thanks a lot for all ! Wink
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:01 pm  

    EileenProphetofIstus wrote:

    I don't have the original Keep of the Borderlands, but I do have the Return to the Keep of the Borderlands. No specific hex is listed but you can narrow the search down to either N5-133 or O5-133 of the Darlene maps, given this quote from the module:

    If you're using the World of Greyhawk setting, the Keep should be located in the southwesternmost part of the Yeomanry, a lordless land of freehold farmers shielded by monster-haunted mountains from the great desert beyond."



    The wilderness map on page 23 of Return to the Keep on the Borderlands also shows the location of Quasqueton, the location for B1...
    Adept Greytalker

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    Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:21 pm  

    TwiceBorn wrote:


    The wilderness map on page 23 of Return to the Keep on the Borderlands also shows the location of Quasqueton, the location for B1...
    return to the keep on the borderlands is the crappiest "Greyhawk" module produced this side of "Gargoyle" it is greyhawk in name only (and barely at that) I would not rely on any information it contains.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:56 am  

    I agree that Return is a crappy "greyhawk" module, but it's a good module, and a reasonable introductory campaign. It's GH only in name, to the point that the editors didn't even bother to change some details that might have made it perfectly GH. Like having clerics of sumerian deity Erseh-Kigall be the bad guys? there's plenty of LE deities in GH, and the editors could have changed what seems to be a personal campaign detail from the author's game to Hextor, or to Asmodeus (there are strong semi-canon indications in the Gord novels to indicate that the ArchDevil is a major power in the Flanaess, and it would provide a very good tie-in to the Horned Society, for instance, if you're playing pre-Wars).

    Given the above and a tie-in to the Society, I would probably locate Return in the southern half of the Wild Coast.
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