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 Where to put Nentir Vale on the Sword Coast?
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 22 Jan 2017 :  13:43:19  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
A player of my group got SCAG and gave it to me (yey!), so we are doing transition to 5e at last (a project I started last year, but got paused by many reasons).

Now, I started as a DM in 4e, so I was one of those who used Nentir Vale as a starting point. I also borrowed a lot from the Realms for my homebrew world, but now we want to play in the Realms. I mostly used the 4e Neverwinter Campaing Setting, and so my Realmsian adventures were in Neverwinter. My players are reluctant to fully abandon the Nentir Vale, however, as they expended lot of time making it a decent home for at least three different parties. I also fused a lot of stuff of the NCS stuff with my personal take on the Nentir Vale, so my plan is to make the vale another region of the Sword Coast.

Here is my question: what place is the best spot to import the Vale on the Sword Coast?

Thanks in advance and sorry for any grammar error (still learning the language).

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 22 Jan 2017 :  14:53:29  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The Delimbiyr Vale seems like an appropriate spot. Could have Hammerfast being in the northern Graypeaks as a retaken hold of Ammarindar. It's plenty out of the way of the lore as well (mostly).

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North
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Gary Dallison
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United Kingdom
6350 Posts

Posted - 22 Jan 2017 :  15:17:35  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I think this idea has been a pet projectof markustay for a while. If so im sure he'll be along soon to offer some advice

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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 22 Jan 2017 :  20:15:56  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
You're killing me here - I haven't dug-out my Misbegotten maps in a LONG time (all of them are on an older computer at this point). I'm going to have to upload TWO maps now, one on Photobucket (which I HATE using these days - it is awful and slows my comp. WAY down), and DeviantART (because I only use DA for 'original' works of mine, not paste-togethers of old maps, as I do on PB). I'm also going to have to open-up a third map in PS (a FRIA one) in order to get the scale correct, because those geniuses back in 1e/2e never foresaw a time when digital publishing would exist, and all those older maps (like The North) don't have scales on them (instead, they used the "1 inch = such-&-such" format).

Nentir on my Misbegotten Realms map

Canon Nentir map pasted into the canon North map

Read the notes for the map on the DeviantART page - Darkmoon Vale (PF) is also squeezed in there, along with lots of other oddities. The maps are sized precisely. You can see on that second one that with just a little bit of tweaking, you can even get roads and rivers to line-up, making it IDEAL.

I really need to do a conversion of this without all that 'mess' from my home campaign map. We'll see... its such a great fit, it really would be worth doing (and Nentir Vale WOULD make an excellent addition to The Realms). The mountains to the east are the only problem, and thats a minor thing (there ARE some canon mountains around there, and most of them can be turned into hills, which works just fine).

EDIT: The only real problem - beyond the geography 'fudging' - is in the history of that precise region. While it all works well with newer lore (around Loudwater, etc), it also happens to be the exact spot where Athalantar once was... where Elminster was born. So not such a big deal to a current campaign, but a bit of a big deal if someone was trying to also place Athalantar there in the past (on the other hand, a LOT of terrain could have changed in the past 1100 years, especially after a ToT, Spellplague, and Sundering 2.0).


"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 22 Jan 2017 20:22:31
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 22 Jan 2017 :  22:03:57  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks, this is most helpful.

And, yeah, I guess I'll have to work hard to combine the lore of the region with the lore of the Nentir Vale.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  01:10:41  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Have your players ever gone into the Harken Forest? The bigger section south of the White River? I'm looking at it now, and thats the only major snafu I am seeing.

I'm going to try and do a fast conversion, using the High Forest Map I made for Eric Boyd, but I don't want to do something that wouldn't work for you.


EDIT: Also, if you used (or would like to use) the Loudwater campaign that came in the 4e FRCG, then the placement becomes even more ideal.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 23 Jan 2017 01:13:40
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  02:35:20  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Never have used Loudwater. Read about it and the place is generic and boring. In a forum someone said Loudwater was so boring that townspeople applauded whenever monsters invaded the town (I do not remember which forum was, but I will always remember that phrase). My Realmsian adventures usually were centered in Neverwinter, because I really loved the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. That's why I was searching a spot near Neverwinter to place Nentir Vale, but the spot you got is too fitting to ignore.

As for the Harken Forest, yeah I've used it. Is the place were Reavers of Harkenwold (one of the best adventures ever created for 4e) took place, and one of the adventuring parties eventually became the rulers of the place. But I guess I can come up with something to justify its existence (ie. Spellplague or ToT).

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

Edited by - Zeromaru X on 23 Jan 2017 02:36:53
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  03:34:20  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
There are hundreds of spots where Nentir Vale 'fits' in the Realms, because it is tiny compared to the whole setting. Its really not that far-off from the Neverwinter setting - a few days travel (maybe a Ride {10-day 'week'}). If you go by the novels, everyone in FR has 'super speed' (including the animals LOL), so its well within reason to just sweep that travel time under the rug.

As for my placement of NV, its the 'best overall', in how it fits the existing terrain. I can easily place some trees along the High Moor as well, to cover that bit of the Harken Forest along the southern edge. I just love how most of the roads and rivers matched up so well (and it looks pretty with some lakes in that area). Even the fork in the river worked out perfectly.

HOWEVER. it would fit nicely closer to Neverwinter - between the coast and Triboar - as well, and might be better suited for your campaign. THIS is what it would look like with a slight rotation (3.4º).

Note that you lose the upper range of the Sword Mts. (no big deal), some of Neverwinter Woods (which could prove a big deal down the road), and Phandalin winds up in the middle of the Witchlight Fens, and since thats the 5e starter adventure, that could mess you up as well (and that AP is worth doing). Best solution for that is to just ignore the Witchlight Fens, and say its another name for the Mere of Dead Men, just to the SW there (and there is an old AP from Dragon Magazine set there that you may want to dig up). That river could just end at the mountains. The two roads that trail off to the east line-up pretty good going to those two settlements, and the forest to the north works out really well on the left side (the right side is messed-up, but you can just ignore that as well). That would be my solution to you for placing it as close to Neverwinter as possible, without ruffling too many (FR) feathers.

But thats the High Forest on the eastern edge of the map, so its not really all that far from where I was planning to place it to begin with.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  05:05:56  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks for the suggestions. That place indeed is perfect for my campaign. And yes, the Witchlight Fens can be a local name for the Mere of Dead Men.

Can you name that AP you mention that takes place in the Mere of Dead Men?

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  07:45:31  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
LOL -its the 'Mere of the Dead Men' series, that ran from Dungeon Magazines 69-73

Plenty of locales and cool lore to go with it (because IIRC, it was written by Eric Boyd).

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  09:12:18  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I see. Those are the Paizo mags, aren't they? Wonder if they are still being sold online...

EDIT: I wanted to do a map like the ones Markustay does, but I don't have proficiency in Photoshop (?) and fumbled hard. So, I drew one with the pen tablet.

As for the locations, I moved Phandalin to the southern reaches of the Dawnforge Mountains, as part of one of the villages of the Barony of Harkenwold; fused the Witchlight Fens with the Mere of Dead Men; and tweaked the High Road so it could match the King's Road fork. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the map, but I don't mind if Markustay wants to improve it.

Here is the map. Save for Atwater (a homebrewed village), all the locations are canon.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

Edited by - Zeromaru X on 23 Jan 2017 15:19:55
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 23 Jan 2017 :  20:40:42  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
At that time the magazine was still TSR owned (but may have already gone-over to WotC, not sure). I believe they are 2e, so they'd take some converting, but each locale was a separate adventure, so they might be worth taking a look (there used to be a resource online with all the magazines for download, but thats long gone now). Just the fact that they were written by Eric Boyd means they are 'tight' (no inconsistencies and full of background lore).

I have to run up to the hospital right now (visiting - I didn't cut anything off LOL), so I'll take a look at your map later. I re-did that last mock-up I did for you, without the rotation, and got it perfectly placed now. I started over-laying all the different Neverwinter maps I have on it for locales (I have one last one left to do - the 4e one), and noticed some interesting coincidences - a couple of the sites from the FR maps align with Nentir Sites now (all ruins, too). I really like the way this is looking, so if your willing to give me a couple of days I could have something nifty for you.


"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 24 Jan 2017 02:23:33
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 24 Jan 2017 :  19:22:21  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hammerfast is... interesting. I recall how hard it was for me to place Nentir Vale down in Shaareach (before I gave up on that idea), simply because it was very difficult for me to justify that location.

Anywhere in The North is practically an impossibility (and I was only able to justify it in my preferred placement below The High Forest because of Luthic's Creche©).

I'm starting to consider doing this as a DM's guild project, with a full write-up. I think I figured-out a way of make it all work (thank goodness for RAS's {bizarre} lore regarding Baffenburg setting a precedent), but its going to require someone with extensive knowledge of both settings to weave the two together.

ME.

As an aside, the ruins of Conyberry and the ruins of Fastormel wound-up practically on top of each other, and at first I had considered merging the two, but I think it would be niftier to keep them separate, so I nudged the two a bit apart on Lake Nen. Then I realized the placement of Conyberry didn't make a whole lot of sense in regards to its own (interesting) lore, and the nearby locale of Agatha's Lair (which gets some use in the 5e starter adventure). thus, I swapped the two around, which makes my eye twitch a bit, but this IS a conversion, and they were VERY close to begin with (about 8 miles apart), and the main consideration (for me) is that ALL lore/existing adventures remain intact. Connyberry needed to be more to the west and closer to the forest, so thats how I handled it. As for the rest... I'm getting kinda excited about it.

I did a different layout (source & mouth) of the Nentir River than you had, Zeromaru, which I really liked, but I had reversed the flow of the river... because I forgot about the waterfall. Thus, I went with yours (a river running through the swamp is kinda cool anyway, and I had it zig-zag past the 5 adventure locales in the Mere of the Dead Men). Good catch by you.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 24 Jan 2017 19:29:38
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 24 Jan 2017 :  20:02:23  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well, I just followed the original Nerath map, in which the Nentir River goes all the way to the sea trough the Trollhaunt Warrens (the paragon adventure), that its also a swamp. But the potential for those adventuring places seems to be a good addition to the adaption.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

Edited by - Zeromaru X on 24 Jan 2017 20:02:45
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 24 Jan 2017 :  23:03:23  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
That source - the tactical/encounter maps aren't bad, but the overland maps as just awful. I can't even get a feel for the region - not sure how to shoe-horn all of that in as well.

I have a nicer map of Nerath, and I just noticed something amusing - it shows the 'snowy wastes' at the top of the map, and the 'belt of hot lands' toward the bottom, as 95% of all fantasy maps do, but when you know how tiny Nentir Vale really is, and look at how they sized it on that map, you realize that the whole planet has to be smaller than Earth's moon. The entirety of the Nerath setting is about the size of FR's Heartlands.

Which makes it about the size of Ansalon (DL).

EDIT: I don't know who made that large overland 'map' (and I use that term VERY loosely), but they have a scale of only 5 miles... and then have FOUR colored bars beneath it. What the hell is that?

EDIT2: After re-sizing it, its even tiny compared to Nentir Vale itself - I can fit it all in the hills between the two sections of the Sword Mountains (without disturbing anything) with plenty of room to spare.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 24 Jan 2017 23:20:32
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 24 Jan 2017 :  23:16:05  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I always wondered if that large Nerath map was an abstraction for the board game or not. IIRC, they did use pieces of it for their Nerath Dragon articles, so possibly they always intended the world to be like that... but I have the suspicion they stopped working on it as a setting before fully developing a proper world map, and just created one for the boardgame that they could also use in their articles.

Alternatively you could always say it was only a small section of the world, and either the snowy wastes or the belt of hot lands (or both) were magically created like the Anauroch. But I guess that's neither here nor there now...

Just chuck it on Osse! There, solved it for ya

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North

Edited by - KanzenAU on 24 Jan 2017 23:16:55
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 24 Jan 2017 :  23:28:25  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I WAS trying to figure-out where to stick that map - the layout of it unto itself is pretty cool, but the names and complete lack of science is... ummm... a little mental. I 'may' decide to just use the outline somewhere - some 'vestigal memory' of a place-holder world that got formed during the century of turmoil (bits and pieces of various worlds that didn't have a 'home' and got orphaned in a pocket-dimension).

I have to admit, there was already PLENTY to do in that region (Neverwinter) if you combine all the 1e/2e/3e/4e/5e locales and adventures onto one map, but when you add the Nentir vale in there it just takes it to a whole 'nother level - you could run a complete campaign there for years and years and never run out of material. It becomes the equivalent of Paizo's Varisia, where half their AP's are set.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 25 Jan 2017 :  00:04:27  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well, Nentir Vale on its own has enough material for many, many campaigns from lv 1 to max, without ever needing to leave the Vale. I presume Neverwinter is the same. Fusing the two regions would create a mega-sandbox region indeed.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  17:48:00  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
As I am doing this, I am noticing some mistakes on the 5e map - they have all the 'Ancestor Mounds' as settlements.

Tsk tsk

There's also two new ones I am unfamiliar with (probably something from the designer's home games) - Carnath Roadhouse (likely protected by a guy named 'Dawson' *sigh*), and Grudd Haug (which may be from one of the AP's). Anyone familiar with either of those?

There are probably more, but those are the only two 'unknowns' that fall-out on this map.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  18:12:57  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks, really, for taking the time to help with this project.

I guess those places are from the new adventures, as they didn't existed in 4e Neverwinter.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...
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Brimstone
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USA
3285 Posts

Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  19:37:53  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
In Storm King's Thunder the Ancestor Mounds are being used a settlements by different tribes at the time. The Roadhouse in in Tyranny of Dragons, and Gudd Haug is the lair of The Hill Giant Queen/Chief lives from Storm King's Thunder...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep

Edited by - Brimstone on 26 Jan 2017 19:40:56
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  19:50:20  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
NP - I enjoy this kind of tinkering. Adaptions are more fun for me than normal maps.

Thanks for the info, Brimstone. In over 2000 years the barbarians NEVER settled around their ancestor mounds, but suddenly in 5e, they do. Neat - glad to know the new designers are up-to-snuff on their Realmslore {*sarcasm*}. On my maps they will remain with a different icon (shrine/holy site).

Question:
I had looked at some 5e maps (from an AP, I believe) awhile back, while doing some research. Apparently they really screwed-up the scale on some of the maps, and I had every intention of correcting all of that in my main mapping project; someone had come up with a good solution to the inconsistencies (possibly at Enworld or the Piazza?) Now, I can't seem to find any reference to those maps, and I don't even recall what adventures they were linked to. All I recall is that some of them were done by Mike Schley, and others by another artist (hence the discrepancies between the maps). Can anyone provide me with any info?

EDIT:
I found one - a Dessarin Valley map from 5e (from Princes of the Apocalypse). It irks me where I found it - I'll have to remember to buy it from Mike Schley as soon as I fix my credit card problem (went shopping yesterday and found the thing wasn't working, so now I have to call the company, which is always a nuisance, and takes forever). Remember to support your artists (and other 'creatives') people, because without them, there wouldn't be an FR. Piracy is only hurting ourselves in the long run. I've bought all of Mike's maps that weren't already available for free on the WotC site (and to offset even those, I purchased a litho from him when I met him in person).

EDIT2:
I think there are maybe two sites on that map I can fit on this one - most of them fall-off the bottom of the Neverwinter map. I have to wonder if stuff is purposely left-off certain maps, so that you can't just use one map for everything (I'm not just talking about dungens/encounters. I'm even talking about settlements). I have to reference six different maps for the Neverwinter region alone. Also, in 5e, they've dropped the whole concept of a 'players map' - they provide ONE (main) map in the APs, with all the encounters on them. .

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 26 Jan 2017 20:32:50
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
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Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  20:39:22  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I was bugged by the way every single ancestor mound happened to have a giant's artifact in or under it.

A couple, that I could see. Every single one just happens to have something the giants need? Nope, that's pushing it.

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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  21:32:22  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
On the new 5e campaign map, everything just has a 'dot', which could mistakenly lead everyone to believe they are all settlements (like Gauntlgrym, or the Old Stone Bridge). Makes it easier for the cartographer, but very confusing for DMs and Players.

On more regional maps, they are still using the icon set I developed - and have NEVER been given credit for. I've even gone back to one of my original devices - having separate icons for 'actual ruin' and 'dungeon' (occupied ruin). Although every ruin is a potential encounter, I only use the 'dungeon' one for sites that have published adventures to go along with them (making it easier for a DM to find other published materials that they can use for their campaigns). I have a 3rd, rarely-used icon (mostly for truly ancient elven ruins), which means 'more like RW ruins' - maybe a few marble columns standing, and the outlines of some foundations, but thats it. Think 'ancient Greece' style ruins wen you see that one (which doesn't look like it will make an appearance on this map).

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 26 Jan 2017 21:51:41
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Brimstone
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USA
3285 Posts

Posted - 26 Jan 2017 :  22:30:14  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The Ancestor Mounds is more like seasonal habitation.

I noticed that too with the "Giant Artifacts" stashed at those locations. Maybe it was WotC's way of detailing those sites only for PC's to plunder them during SKT. That might also be why those sites are inhabited, "it's a people, lets kill it"!!! Now that I think about it...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep

Edited by - Brimstone on 26 Jan 2017 22:30:55
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 27 Jan 2017 :  00:21:52  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Yeah, it appears they 'bent' the lore to wrap around the adventure, rather than the other way around. I don't have a problem with (giant) artifacts being buried there, so long as there was some good back-story that tied that into existing lore (buried by ancient dwarves/elves, and the local primitive human tribes were 'tasked' to watch over them, which after many centuries turned them into 'holy sites' - perfectly plausible). Did they bother to do anything like that?

And why are the tribes there? Thats just LAZY design. Isn't it easy-enough to say that the shamen of the tribes 'received visions' that "their ancient charge was in danger"? Thus, the tribes are hanging around the sites because of the plot, rather than just saying 'they live there now'. Just stupid, IMHO. Plus, IIRC, two sites were shared by tribes, and they made it a point to try and use them at different times (mostly). It would be really weird for different (migratory!) tribes to now be living together at these places.

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

In Storm King's Thunder the Ancestor Mounds are being used a settlements by different tribes at the time. The Roadhouse in in Tyranny of Dragons, and Gudd Haug is the lair of The Hill Giant Queen/Chief lives from Storm King's Thunder...

so its NOT a settlement? As I said above, CONFUSING. Also, there's about a dozen (at least) large ranges of hills in The North, and they stick the lair of a HILL giant in one of the few 'open' areas on the map? REALLY? Okaaaaaay...

So what is the 'Roadhouse'? Was I right? Does a Patrick Swayze knock-off hang out there? Or is it just 'generic inn #4783'?

EDIT:
Now this is funny - I actually stuck hills THERE on my High Forest and Shining Vale maps I did for Eric Boyd. So when I get around to redrawing that region, I will have them there... but the 5e map I am referencing does NOT. So its like the adventure referenced one of my maps, but when they did the larger 5e 'SKT preview map', it was more based on published FR campaign maps, which did not have the hills. And I didn't make them up, BTW - they were there - we just lost them over the years. There's even a 'lost site' {"ruins") from the 1e maps that went there.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 27 Jan 2017 00:31:42
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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3285 Posts

Posted - 27 Jan 2017 :  00:38:15  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The Roadhouse is like a way stop/hunting lodge/Cult of the Dragon smuggling point...

I will check my books when I get home for more...

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep

Edited by - Brimstone on 27 Jan 2017 00:40:15
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 27 Jan 2017 :  01:08:52  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Carnath Roadhouse was a supply depot for the High Road Charter Company that was rebuilding the High Road between Neverwinter and Waterdeep, which had not been maintained after the explosion of Mount Hotenow. It's now being used as a supply depot and wagon park for travellers. It had significance in Tyranny of Dragons because lizardfolk from the Mere of Dead Men were carrying goods of the Cult of the Dragon from there into the Mere towards Castle Naerytar.

Grudd Haug straddles the south side of one of the Dessarin's tributaries like a beaver dam. It was built by hobgoblin and goblin engineers, and assembled with the might of hill giant and ogre labourers. It's basically just one huge giant-sized hut on top of some huge caves, with a hobgoblin-sized hut and watchtower next to it. It is a recently built structure, which has probably been there for a few months. My guess is that the caves at the side of the river are an old hill giant favourite, but the dam/hut + tower have been erected only about six months to a year before Storm King's Thunder (so, say 1490 DR if keeping to the novel timeline). It's true that there are no distinct hill ranges shown on maps in this area, but maps of this area have always been hugely withdrawn large-scale maps. There's never even been a 1-mile-scale map of the area, let alone an area showing individual hills, so I think it's impossible to say there's none there. There's a few hills in the art done for the area though, seems enough for me.

As for the ancestor mounds, the adventurers find a magical oracle associated with Annam, who tells them:
quote:
When human barbarians came to these lands, they fought our kind and stole our relics, burying them in the ground. The humans built altars to Uthgar, their god-king, atop these relics and surrounded their altars with burial mounds.
.
We know from the original sourcebooks that the ancestor mounds were usually two rings of burial mounds surrounding an altar mound. Also, most Uthgardt tribes believe that their tribal founders are buried at these ancestor mounds.

Storm King's Thunder does not contradict any of this, but it adds something under the altar mounds - proud heritage of the Uthgardt that they claim is connected to Uthgar himself. It seems to me like it's appropriate for them to bury these here with their founding ancestors. They're war trophies of the Uthgardt - such as "a shield of a frost giant champion", "a mithral spear", and the "skull of Gurt" - whom Uthgar is known to have defeated in single combat. I don't think it's unreasonable for these war trophies to be buried with the Uthgardt, and it doesn't contradict any prior lore that I'm aware of. There are probably tonnes of these sorts of relics buried from the time the Uthgardt fought the giants, it's just the Oracle of the All-Father is only asking for these specific ones as tribute.

The oracle of Annam demands these relics as tribute to giantkind. The giants do not need these items - some of them are just ceremonial flappery. Neither will the players find them useful outside of the context of the oracle demanding them. Conflict between the people of Uthgar and the giants is well documented in the old material (eg. Giantcraft), and that Uthgar himself definitely had beef with giants - his own weapon does x3 damage against giants, and he's perhaps most famous for facing down a frost giant in single combat. The way I see it, the giant oracle is demanding some restoration is made to the giants before it helps the party in the current giant vs giant conflict. The fact that the giant is asking the party to desecrate human ancestor mounds is another whole kettle of fish, but I can see why the giant wouldn't care.

Long story short I think through actually reading the adventure and comparing it with the old material, people will find there's not that much bad here. I think they're really trying to fit in exciting new adventures with the dense old canon, and I can't find any contradictions.

Edit: the map issues are another matter. There really isn't any good reason for Carnath Roadhouse to be on a scaled-out map at this point (it's just a supply depot), except that it's a point you can go to in the adventure. Keep in mind this is an adventure map, not a lore/sourcebook map. It's supposed to detail locations the party can visit, and it does. I too would have preferred it if they didn't just put generic location icons on every point, but it doesn't seem like it would affect the running of the adventure.

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North

Edited by - KanzenAU on 27 Jan 2017 01:13:36
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 27 Jan 2017 :  01:14:22  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks

Castle Narytar? So they did connect it to the old Mere of the Dead Men AP - at least, in part.

I keep forgetting to ask about something (I'm all over the place mentally today), every time I come back to this thread - The Black Moor Bog, which I had thought was a new lake on the larger map, but turns out to be a... well... BOG... on the Dessarin Valley Map (PotA). So, any info on this as well? I unfortunately connected it to the little lake on the Nentir Map (that wound up very close by, and it seemed like a cool idea at the time), but if its more like a swamp, that won't work (as well). I have so many new, little swamps/marshes in this area, I really hate having yet another (although, I suppose it makes a lot of sense - must be a lot of clay in the soil in that region).

Ieirithymbul fell out in a really cool spot - I even have the individual mountains to name now. I had forgotten the valley it is in was also named (Felrenden), so I'll have to add that to my geography notes.

I also found a better Nentir Vale map to work off of. Not better art, just one a fan made that includes EVERYTHING from 4e, which is VERY helpful. Ya know, for a company that loves to blow-up towns and cities, bring back ancient ones, move shorelines, fast-forward timelines by a century, add all sorts of wizard towers, tombs, and lairs every month, and basically wreak havoc on a poor cartographer's psyche, you'd think they'd have learned by now to UPDATE THEIR MAPS as they went along.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 27 Jan 2017 01:25:00
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 27 Jan 2017 :  01:23:32  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Castle Naerytar:
In Hoard of the Dragon Queen it's revealed that the a half-black dragon Cult of the Dragon member has cosied up to Voaraghamanthar (and his twin), and made use of the abandoned Castle for the Cult. There's a couple of nice references to the original adventures in there.

Black Maw Bog:
This was first detailed (to my knowledge) in an article in Dragon #307 by Ed - the Haunted Bridge. It's extremely dangerous to cross without going over the haunted bridge that crosses over it (Ilikur's Bridge). There's a lot of detail in the article about it.

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 27 Jan 2017 :  01:25:58  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
NICE! Thanks!

EDIT: Now, if I could just read 'Download' in Korean, I'd be good to go...

Aaaaaaaand it only goes up to pg.50. *ugh!*

I really need to get my stupid credit card working...

EDIT2:
Well, I tried to buy a copy, and for some reason, this is one issue that isn't available as a pdf download (or even hard-copy) from Paizo. Anyone have any idea why some issues aren't available - if its digital, its not like they can 'run out'.

I can't stand that there is an FR locale I didn't know about! Anyone know a legal means of obtaining that issue (#307)?

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 27 Jan 2017 04:13:05
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