Below are my suggestions for recreating adventures based on Dave Arneson's original Blackmoor campaign. (Arneson's system gave way to playtesting the original D&D rules in 1973, although he never stopped experimenting with new ideas.)
Men & Magic:
Introduction
Special InterestsHit Location During Melee (from Supplement II)
Monsters & Treasure:
The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures:
Specialists (from Supplement II)Disease (from Supplement II)
Beginning the Campaign:
A good time to start a campaign would be after the First Coot Invasion, during the reign of the Baron Fant, with the original Blackmoor characters serving as more powerful NPCs.
Facts About Blackmoor (circa 996-7)- Population, Area, Resources, Ruling Class, The Country- Blackmoor Castle, The Pits, The Ruins, Wolf's Head Pass, The Comeback InnThe Town of Blackmoor (original map)
I like the idea of starting the first adventure at the Comeback Inn, since that was how Arneson introduced Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz to his game. Perhaps the party could meet one of "Blackmoor's More Infamous Characters" who fill them in on recent happenings.
In terms of adventure hooks, the Baron Fant might hire the party to enter the dungeons beneath Blackmoor Castle on some mission, they might choose to explore "the pits" outside the city walls, or travel to one of the surrounding areas:
Glendower Dungeons (a good "starting dungeon" for beginning PCs)
The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg (forthcoming)
I would favor using Arneson's redrawn campaign map, as opposed to the Judges Guild or later versions. For the campaign's history, one is referred to A Blackmoor Timeline compiled by Daniel Boggs. (Events in the original Blackmoor campaign ran from game years 995-1001 or so.)
Intermediate Level Adventures:
The Fall of Blackmoor at the end of the Second Coot Invasion (997) results in the exile of the original Blackmoor characters to Loch Gloomen, and Blackmoor Castle is abandoned. Elves from the nearby forest occupy the castle in order to limit access to the dungeon.
Blackmoor Castle (circa 997-1001)
- The Blackmoor Castle's History
- Haunted Rooms and the Like
Blackmoor Dungeons (circa 997-1001)
- Sir Fang
- Elves
The Blackmoor Dungeons are a sprawling maze, extending far beneath the town and beyond. The upper levels are for the most part abandoned, and hence suitable for lower level adventurers, although the dangers escalate rapidly, the deeper one goes.
For those desiring more details and ideas for stocking the dungeons as far down as the 20th level, I would suggest checking out "Dave Arneson's Blackmoor: The Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor" (2006) published by Zeitgeist Games, Inc. (for D&D 3.5e).
Higher Level Adventures:
Loch Gloomen (a wilderness sandbox for intermediate-level PCs)
The Temple of the Frog (DA2 "Temple of the Frog" (1986) or "Temple of the Frog" (2006) published by Zeitgeist Games, Inc. (3.5e) could be used for additional info)
The City of the Gods (DA3 "City of the Gods" (1987) or "City of the Gods" (2008) published by Zeitgeist Games, Inc. (3.5e) could be used for additional info)
There are lots of opportunities for adventures in Loch Gloomen. The party might be charged with rescuing prisoners kidnapped by the Brothers of the Swamp, resulting in a raid on the Temple of the Frog. Alternately, they might stumble across the City of the Gods in the desert to the southwest.
The Domain Game:
Blackmoor, the Campaign
- The Great Invasion (circa 998-9)
- Chance Cards
The player characters may be granted fiefs, and the Chainmail rules could be used to run a wargame as the grand finale of the campaign. Arneson provides all the necessary details, although the D&D Companion Set could alternately be used.
The Next Generation:
Uther Andahar becomes the Baron of Blackmoor in 1005, and is crowned the King of Blackmoor a decade later. The events recounted in the BECMI modules DA1-4 (for character levels 10-14) take place in 1025, during his reign.
No comments:
Post a Comment