Arksylvania (free pdf)

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misterguignol
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Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by misterguignol »

I've been working on a new campaign setting inspired by Ravenloft, Bloodborne, and Darkest Dungeon. The setting can be used as-is on its own or dropped into an existing Ravenloft campaign as a new domain. Failing that, there might be some details you could steal for your own games in there somewhere.

You can get a free pdf of the setting here.

Or browse the blog posts I've made about it here.
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ewancummins
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by ewancummins »

misterguignol wrote:I've been working on a new campaign setting inspired by Ravenloft, Bloodborne, and Darkest Dungeon. The setting can be used as-is on its own or dropped into an existing Ravenloft campaign as a new domain. Failing that, there might be some details you could steal for your own games in there somewhere.

You can get a free pdf of the setting here.

Or browse the blog posts I've made about it here.
Cool!

I've enjoyed reading your blog, off an on, for some months now.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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alhoon
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by alhoon »

It seems well thought. If I may ask, in the map, how much is a hex? Or we go by Ravenloft rule "as big as needed"?

Thank you for your efforts, the setting seems solid and compact with enough information to make it interesting leaving enough room for creative minds.
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misterguignol
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by misterguignol »

alhoon wrote:It seems well thought. If I may ask, in the map, how much is a hex? Or we go by Ravenloft rule "as big as needed"?

Thank you for your efforts, the setting seems solid and compact with enough information to make it interesting leaving enough room for creative minds.
Yeah, I've never been one to figure out how much "space" each hex covers. The "as big as needed" Ravenloft way works for me.

Also I figure that I would leave that up to anyone who wants to use it. Want a small, claustrophobic setting? Cool. Points of light separated by vast expanses of wilderness? Also cool.

And thanks for the kind words!
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by misterguignol »

ewancummins wrote:Cool!

I've enjoyed reading your blog, off an on, for some months now.
Thanks for reading, man.
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ewancummins
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by ewancummins »

I like the Church of the Wounded God.

It superficially resembles Christianity closely enough to make a good fantasy-stand-in for the Church, but differs enough in content to avoid being either blasphemous or ridiculous.

What would happen to a vampire in this setting if it drank the consecrated wine/blood from a chalice? Would the substance feed the vampire? Harm him as if he has ingested holy water?
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
misterguignol
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by misterguignol »

ewancummins wrote:I like the Church of the Wounded God.

It superficially resembles Christianity closely enough to make a good fantasy-stand-in for the Church, but differs enough in content to avoid being either blasphemous or ridiculous.

What would happen to a vampire in this setting if it drank the consecrated wine/blood from a chalice? Would the substance feed the vampire? Harm him as if he has ingested holy water?
Yeah, I wanted a church that kinda-sorta resembled Catholicism (since that is all over the original Gothic novels) but without being offensive.

I'm not sure if the usual priest or whatever actually has any clerical power...so I imagine that a lot of blood transformation is just ritual. People with actual levels of the cleric class could probably transform it into a substance that works similarly to holy water though.
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ewancummins
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by ewancummins »

I read a large chunk of the OP's previous homebrew campaign setting, back when it was still up on his blog.
I greatly enjoyed that one, but I think of the two I prefer Arksylvania. It feels more focused and more coherent. It's also easier to port into an existing setting.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by misterguignol »

ewancummins wrote:I read a large chunk of the OP's previous homebrew campaign setting, back when it was still up on his blog.
I greatly enjoyed that one, but I think of the two I prefer Arksylvania. It feels more focused and more coherent. It's also easier to port into an existing setting.
I tend to agree, actually. The problem with Ulverland/World Between is that there was just too much of it. Arksylvania was an exercise in being concise and focused.
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ewancummins
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by ewancummins »

misterguignol wrote:
ewancummins wrote:I read a large chunk of the OP's previous homebrew campaign setting, back when it was still up on his blog.
I greatly enjoyed that one, but I think of the two I prefer Arksylvania. It feels more focused and more coherent. It's also easier to port into an existing setting.
I tend to agree, actually. The problem with Ulverland/World Between is that there was just too much of it. Arksylvania was an exercise in being concise and focused.
Too much for a blog post, maybe, but not too much for a setting sourcebook. :azalin:
Which, I see, you've created and made available elsewhere. Cool!


But back to Arksylvania...

The Vlach type barbarians (Vallachmen) sound fun. I'd consider giving them Dacian falxes and those sweet draco standards.

When I got to the bit about the religion of the Taz Hadamin...


Ia Ia
ash-shubab-al-muthlimun!
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
misterguignol
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Re: Arksylvania (free pdf)

Post by misterguignol »

ewancummins wrote: The Vlach type barbarians (Vallachmen) sound fun. I'd consider giving them Dacian falxes and those sweet draco standards.
I'll have to look into those.
When I got to the bit about the religion of the Taz Hadamin...

Ia Ia
ash-shubab-al-muthlimun!
EXACTLY!
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