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LucianBarasu
Fellaren-Krae Co-ordinator
USA
214 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 19:52:58
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Not sure if this post has been done, but from one DM to the others..
Looking at the FR atlas, and zooming in tight, I see alot of spaces left blank. In any of your campaigns, if any of you creative Dms have built your own city, where have you places it? Just curious to see where most people like to work from. Do you place it near water? Near adventure areas(i.e. wilderness/mnts) Do you put it in high traffic areas for trade?
I am not talking small villages you've used as a waypoint in a campaign, i mean big cities, or huge capitols...
I know the Project on the candlekeep site put the town in Sembia...
Just looking for some interesting placement ideas...
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Lucian "The Bringer" Barasu
Fellaren Krae Project Co-Ordinator
"Why do you cry?"
"He is Conan, Cimmerian. He won't cry... So I cry for him."
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Halidan
Senior Scribe
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 20:57:29
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Personally, I place the city (or town or village or anything else) in whatever place it makes the most sense. Since I began running games in the Forgotten Realms, I've probably added dozens of villages and at least several towns and small citeis to the landscape - not to mention lakes, rivers, forests and even a couple of small mountain ranges.
My most recent addition to the FR landscape would have to be the cities of Cauldron and Sasserine to the jungles south of Maztica. Both of these cities are part of Paizo's Dungeon Magazine Adventure Paths, and since I wanted to run them in FR but didn't want to re-visit Chult (which I had run adventures in too recently) I ended up putting them there. I've never run a campaign on the western continents and I think it's going to be fun.
Personally, I veiw the maps that TSR and WotC provide us with as broad outlines. I make whatever changes to the geography that I need for whatever adventure I'm running - just as long as those changes make sense to me. |
"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied,
"If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allen Poe - 1849 |
Edited by - Halidan on 30 Nov 2006 21:05:26 |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 21:17:09
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| I never really did rely on maps much, or rather up until now that I run a Waterdeep campaign |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 21:21:02
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Areas were by intention (or at least has been posted by some desigers) as blank to allow the DM to develpe such areas as they deem fit.
As for myself develping cities I have done so, but more in gerneric world then fitting it into the Realms.
Water of some kind is required, though does not need to be a port of even a river. Some domains have not even seen a raft.
A food supply is needed, but that does not prevent most food being purchased (or otherwise aquired) from trade and/or travelers.
As to placements in the Realms the best advise I offer is place where you think would be a good location. No comunity survives for long unless it can support itself, my magic, theift, froce or hard work. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 21:52:56
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| Land without big human cities isn't blank! It has ecosystems, nomadic inhabitants and small settlements, ancient ruins... I love that land (in D&D parlance, wilderness) just as much as the 'civilized' lands. I wouldn't mind putting one or two more cities here and there, but I've never creatively needed to. |
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LucianBarasu
Fellaren-Krae Co-ordinator
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 22:06:15
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Faraer, I didn't mean it's blank as in people walk to a point, and grass, water, and insects dissapear and they're on blank white background. I know that there is an ecosystem, buyt what I was looking for was to see WHERE people put their towns or cities, and then possibly have them expand what they did WITH the surrounding countryside, "made gnoll tribes move, had to clear out beholder cave in order to establish the town's ore rights, etc...
I know the "blank" sections aren't BLANK...come on.. |
Lucian "The Bringer" Barasu
Fellaren Krae Project Co-Ordinator
"Why do you cry?"
"He is Conan, Cimmerian. He won't cry... So I cry for him."
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 22:17:53
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I'm not too inclined to build my own major cities in the wilderness as I am to throw the occaisional village, mage's tower, small fortress of a retired adventurer, or my favorite, an abbey of some sort or another.
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2006 : 22:37:23
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
I'm not too inclined to build my own major cities in the wilderness as I am to throw the occaisional village, mage's tower, small fortress of a retired adventurer, or my favorite, an abbey of some sort or another.
Actully the blank areas should be described as unknown. There could be small or large kingdoms there that the Harpers have not learned of yet, even areas that Volo has not visited yet. *wink*
While not Realms I have been told a tale of the Isle of Dread (BD&D Expert 1) being turned into a land with teleportatation circles, cities, roads and fewer dinosaurs.
There though is a larger a power one builds the more it would effect nearby powers. The DM should factor in a city of Ice trolls that might raid along the coast during winter, Waterdeep might even be in danger once in a while, if the DM desires crediblity of a granted fataxey world.
It makes no sense to have Draves and Goblins living next to each other with an entry that they skimish from time to time, however we do see such odd things from time to time where racial enemies live close to each other and are not in a war of anilalation. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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dwarvenranger
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 01 Dec 2006 : 00:45:45
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| I once put the Jarkandor, Isle of War setting on one of the unknown lands back in 2ed. The party had a teleportation accident and ended up there. |
If I waited till I knew what I was doing, I'd never get anything done.
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 02 Dec 2006 : 23:06:53
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| My DM dropped a lot of smaller settlements from Dungeon Magazine modules (and some of his own design, too) into Cormanthor and the North. It worked really well, although some of them needed more "FR flavor" and work from his part. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Archwizard
Learned Scribe
USA
266 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2006 : 03:10:32
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| The only town/city sized settlement I've placed into the Realms was in the far north on and around the isle of Duuthskor. Otherwise I always use existing cities. However, I've often dropped in smaller game/party specific sites like villages, ruins, outposts, etc. |
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DMS give Me some insight
