The Use of Real World Biomes in a Hex Crawl Campaign Setting

Because of its location and how it was formed from inland sea to a glaciated region to the place it is today, Minnesota is a unique place containing many lakes and is the meeting place of four biomes.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/biomes/index.html

The starting point of my Sylvaeon campaign is partially based upon the land that I love  :)
I have populated the initial hex crawl with many of the native flora and fauna of Minnesota. The weather patterns mimic those occurring seasonally.

The flow and joining of the Drake's Wash & the Broken Arrow rivers in this starting area are based upon the real world confluence of the Minnesota & Mississippi rivers. The PCs have encountered these large rivers already. I used a riverside cliff cave in the last session based on those that are on the banks of these rivers. One encounter took place in a sink hole, like the ones that are present in various parts of the state.

Hex crawls and world building do not always entail reinventing the wheel. Using what is in the real world can ease the process greatly.

Remember the Giant Beaver in the Monster Manual? We had those things here.In fact, the most complete skeleton of a giant beaver was unearthed right here in Minnesota. The PDF linked below talks about some of the giant mamals of the past that roamed the state. I am itching to toss some megafauna at my players  ;)

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/volunteer/young_naturalists/giants_iceage/giants_iceage.pdf

Love, Romance & Fantasy

Love, Romance & Fantasy
(I posted this on my old blog, but for Valentine's Day I thought it might be nice to repost it here)

There are lots of books and movies that combine romance and the fantasy genre. One could easily have chosen Labyrinth and gotten extra points for mentioning a movie that has an “L” name, but I had to “go with my heart” on this one. So, I chose to star this post with my favorite romantic fantasy/comedy: The Princess Bride.

Every time I watch it I want to engage in a Chatty Duel, storm the castle and do inconceivable things! I laugh, I cry (manly tears, of course!) and the tale never gets old. Other stories have hilarity, lovers’ spats, adventure and obstacles to overcome in pursuit of True Love, but none intertwines Fantasy in them quite as wonderfully! The tale feels like a romantic D&D adventure. 

(Note: The videos – except the last one – have “embedding disabled by request”, like half of the things on YouTube these days, so double click on them if you wish to watch them in YT, sorry)

I could go into the characters in The Princess Bride, but the romance and tension between the main characters, Westley and Buttercup are really what makes the movie a Fantasy Love Story. I guess I am a romantic sap or something, because even though I know the “Real World” doesn’t always quite function this way, I still believe in the mushy ideals of The Princess Bride.

My first serious girlfriend was a Roleplayer. I introduced her to D&D when I was 17. I would play my gritty hack-n-slash character with The Boys. I am sure my character in that game wasn’t very romantic at all. However, my girlfriend I and would take time to have intimate 1-on-1 sessions, where either of us would be the GM. My character in “Our Game” was romantic, playful and Roguish… the perfect Gentleman Scoundrel! I think it was just my teenager-almost-a-man ways coming out in my alter Ego, but it was a lot of fun. Our roleplaying sessions remind me a lot of The Princess Bride, in retrospect, but the movie hadn’t even come out yet and I was unaware of the book at that time.

"As you wish."

There is a place for romance in fantasy, however not every fantasy roleplaying game is going to have it. Because of the nature of the group and/or GM, etc. it might not be an aspect at all of many campaigns, but some do incorporate it.

When I got older, I was in one long-term campaign that had the element of romance as one of the underlying aspects. The group was composed heavily of couples that gamed together. It was funny to see how we, as couples, gamed when things were not going so well at the time in our relationships. Little jabs and such might happen across the gaming table, but nothing severe. I still laugh to this day about some of the things that happened. The dynamics of real life romances at work in our game – even if it wasn’t always sunshine and roses – was sometimes just like in The Princess Bride.

A little laughter, a little tears, a little romance, a little fantasy is good for the soul.

As I end this post, I wish to bring to your attention Storming The Castle. I own it and enjoy it very much.
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35524/the-princess-bride-storming-the-castle

Wardens of Sylvaeon

  In the past the entire Realm of Sylvaeon was a place of peace and balance… everything and everyone had a place in it. There was no blight, only natural cycles and the ways of the Fey. The Corrupter introduced foul creatures and dark designs upon the land.  Since the Great Wars, corruption had been driven back to far reaches of the Realm. However, the armies of the past are no more and corruption has reached its tendrils back into places where it has not existed for some time. Recently, (ie. -within a few generations of men) the introduction of new "interlopers" into the Realm has destabilized the Balance even more. The need for a way to deal with these problems has become clear to the White Lady and those who swear at least passing allegiance to her. Out of this need was born the practice of the Wardens.

The Wardens of Sylvaeon are sometimes all that stands between the forces of Darkness and the good Folk of the Realm. The Wardens are recruited from the local populations and sent on missions to root out evil, to help those in trouble or to patrol an area on the lookout for the machinations of the Corrupter.

While the Wardens do not have power over the local magistrates, if they exist in their area, they are generally respected and there advice and assistance is desired - if not outright needed. Local rulers and ruling bodies that exist will generally work closely with the Wardens, giving them what material assistance they can, as well as the recruits they need willingly. Wardens are not "the cops" in settled areas, but they are the vanguard of the wilderlands, acting as agents of the local populace, and if they are true to the Balance, as the hand of the Lady herself. Recruits are given latitude as to their actions in service, so long as they adhere to the general orders of the Master Wardens.

Recruits pledge themselves to at least one year of service to the Wardens. After the year is up, recruits may freely leave or they may choose to be inducted as full Wardens. Service in the Wardens is considered a great honor and those who do so well have good reputations among the locals and are accorded with respect. A Warden that acts corruptly or through cowardice allows harm to come to their compatriots or the local populace is severely disciplined.

Many former recruits have come back with tales of strange magics, wealth, hideous monsters and of the encroaching evil that is spreading across the Realm; just as many have been killed in service or never seen again.

It is hoped that these groups of allied defenders of the Realm will help unite Sylvaeon once again through their valorous deeds. Even if a recruit does not have such lofty aspirations, seeking only adventure, fame or wealth, they still can vicariously help the cause of the White Lady and the Balance. If anything, they will have some stories to tell their children or unbelieved tales to brag about in the pub when they grow old.  ;)