Sunday, September 20, 2020

The First Fantasy Campaign: Map Notes (Part 2)

In redrawing the first campaign map, I have decided that it would be advantageous to make some minor changes along the south and west borders to link it with the Judges Guild's "Known World" area (as shown in the Guide to the City State).  My map is twice the scale, 19 miles per hex, and fits into the northeastern corner, bordering the Valley of the Ancients.  As is Judges Guild's practice, two 17" x 22" maps will be found with this book - a "Judges" and "Players" version, so the Judge can keep the players in the dark about the terrain.

Dave Arneson, The First Fantasy Campaign (1977)


The two, large, fold-out poster maps included with JG 37 "The First Fantasy Campaign" were drafted by Bob Bledsaw of Judges Guild, under the direction of Dave Arneson.  They were designated JG 38 (Judges Map) and JG 39 (Players Map). 


The First Fantasy Campaign Map/Judges Cartography of the Lands about Blackmoor Castle, from JG 37 "The First Fantasy Campaign" (1977).  Scale labeled as 10 miles per hex, twice the usual 5 miles per hex of other Judges Guild maps (the 19 miles per hex mentioned above was presumably a typo).

It's now known that Arneson used the map of The Northern Marches as the basis for the Judges Guilds maps.  As stated above, the southern border was extended to connect with the Judges Guild's "Known World" map from JG 10 "Guide to the City State".


Judges Guild's "Known World" as depicted in JG 10 "Guide to the City State".  Note the location of the equator and the scale, on the order of the Mediterranean.

Also as mentioned, the First Fantasy Campaign map was intended to cover the lands to the northeast of the area referred to as the "Wilderlands of High Fantasy".  Here is where Blackmoor fits in relation to the rest of the campaign setting:


The Players version of the First Fantasy Campaign map in relation to the Wilderlands of High Fantasy.  Note the continuation of the northern boundary of the Valley of the Ancients into the area to the south of Blackmoor.

The map for area 1 "City State of the Invincible Overlord" was included in Judges Guild Installment K (JG 18-21).  The maps for area 2 "Barbarian Altanis" and area 3 "Valley of the Ancients" were included in Judges Guild Installment N (JG 43-45).  The maps for area 4 "Tarantis" and area 5 "Valon" were included in Judges Guild Installment O (JG 48-51).


The Players version of the First Fantasy Campaign map in relation to Campaign Map 3 "Valley of the Ancients"

Almost a decade later, D&D module DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor" was published, together with a new map, based on the previous one from JG 37 "The First Fantasy Campaign":


Map 5 "The Northlands" from DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor" (1986).  Scale labeled as 12 miles per hex.  (The scale on an earlier version of this map was labeled as 24 miles per hex, discussed here).

The DA series of modules were set in a pre-cataclysmic Known World, on the continent of Brun, which coincidentally, like the map of The Great Kingdom, was based on a map of North America.

2 comments:

  1. >>>the 19 miles per hex mentioned above was presumably a typo).

    Yep, in the 1980 reprint. The 1977 print has 10 miles per hex in the text.

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    1. Aha! Thanks for that. I need to get a copy of the 1977 1st printing. The 1980 reprint is a bit of a mess.

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