Filler Art

Some general filler art

Giant Fleas
Header Pic
Barnacle Man
You decide

Winding Down and Setting Design as a Hobby

The bulk of the rule modifications and setting material is more or less complete. As a writer it I think it is important to know when to 'call it', and move on to the next step. One of the reasons I am using the B/X ruleset is because it is unrestraining and well suited to an open-ended world. I do not want to over develop it. It should be loose guidelines of what is where with a lot of sandbox material to play in as the players go. Anything further would be diminishing returns I would think, since the players have a good chance to never see it. As of right now I am fairly happy with the amount of material that is done and it should be an ample amount to rake fresh characters over the proverbial coals.

That said, the posts here will likely dwindle greatly as I concentrate on the fairly dry tasks of assembling the mess I've created in the past three months. This will include a lot of rewriting, organizing, editing and smashing it all together to form a single book 'Valley of Blue Snails'. A one stop rules/campaign setting, hopefully ready to go by the May Iraq deployment date. None of this process will be very interesting to share so I will not do so. I may do a few new articles (the two remaining great seasons, a cleric write up) but they should be uncommon at this point. Hopefully in MayI will simply post the PDF when its ready and stick a fork in it in this construction project.

Thereafter this blog will highlight the actual campaign as it goes and I will fill future setting details as the player(s) stumble across strange lands, high adventure, and butter supple loins.


I have a few notes in reflection, notably regarding setting design as a hobby:

I suppose part of the reason that I have worked on Valley of Blue Snails is that it is a hobby in of itself. It is not all preparation for a campaign, although that was definitely a motivating factor to get some actual work done (ie Iraq deployment date). It is quite possible that I will spend far, far more time doing the labor and toil than actually playing the game. Granted I hope this is not necessarily the case; but it is foreseeable that the setting sees very limited play for one reason or another. There is war going on after all.

I won't belabor the point since I don't want to give the wrong impression that I think this would be some horrible thing. I'm having fun designing my little maps and trivial lore. I'm sure I will use the better bits in whatever I run or play in. Even if I don't it was fun to write them and generally explore some ideas that I've been mulling over.

In retrospect I would change a few things from the get-go and move towards a more open approach to setting design. Preconceived notions seem to stifle creativity and I am surely caught up in that mix to some extent. I started from the ground up (B/X rules, 4 races) instead of the top down (And then there was light, what else is out there?). I should have taken the top down approach as I am sure I would have arrived at some more interesting conclusions rather than dipping into my prior gaming repertoire to fill in the blanks.

The closest thing that comes to mind in treating the actual game design as its own hobby is probably Traveler. DMs and players for that matter almost certainly spent far more time generating characters, ships, worlds, systems and so forth than actually playing. Traveler summed it up as so:

• The Solitaire Game: One player undertakes some journey or adventure alone. He or she handles the effects of the rules as the situation progresses. [...] In addition, there are many aspects ideally suited to solitaire consideration. A single player can spend time generating characters, designing starships, generating worlds and subsectors, planning situations, and mapping out ideas to use in later group scenarios.

Note that this is reflected as its own game rather than simple preparation. And it is, I would recommend it to almost anyone with interest in D&D, old and new, or any general role-playing. Get to it and don't dilly-dally around. I know I would be interested and inspired with setting material that other people come up with who are more creative and talented than I.

A few NPCs

Locations and NPCs I prefer to dole out in small allotments rather than attempting to do them all at once or do them on the fly. A few that may make an appearance.

Miviel, the Hands of Twin Cinders - A well known Sheriff known for his lust and remarkable fighting style with a dagger in each hand.

The Dweller in the Pit - Unfathomably ugly Dwarf that lives in the Miasma Pit of Klormb. He is said to be 1000 years old.

Romine, the Shield of Lime - A half-man half-bear who honorably carried out the will of Selecuid. Ostracized by most civilizations.

The Selfish Braggart Hothir - Well known warrior with an endless assortment of tall tales, some of them perhaps true.

Juilio, the Fleecing Shadow - Middle aged woman, thief and killer. Follows a strange cult in reverence to the Great Rot.

Coycoy, the Resting Magi - Wizard from distant lands who makes him home on the Plateau of Gnaeun. The Halfling women keep a wide berth from his citadel.

Twice Born Reguln - Renowned prophet and miracle worker. Said to raise the dead and died himself, only to return to his faith to serve once more.

Larnis the Clipper - Lecherous old man but remarkably skilled pickpocket.

Seilnoon of the Moons Edge - A lone Elf maid who sit near a lake during full moons. It is said she can be several place at once.

Gluberlane the Carnal - Grotesquely fat giant with insatiable thirsts for all carnal things. Endlessly seeking for exotic and forbidden pleasures.

Thrymil, the Settled King - Dwarf King dwelling among the Halfling of Neorn as their Lord.

Brother Cabil Douern - Elf brother struggling with his kin over the leadership in the Pearpines. His bastard brother lacks a claim for the throne but is far more popular.

Brother Vesper Douern - Bastard brother to Cabil, and romantic warrior. One of the few Elf men driven by passion, and has the heart of legions of Elf warrior women.

The Staring Child - Prophetic Halfling child who never blinks with a powerful Oculus. Said to see the future in perfect clarity.

Kaetlin, of Three Lodges - Dwarf maid who bludgeoned a Halfling Sheriff to death with an ale stien. Now an unwilling Dwarf folk-hero whom the Halflings resent.

Pereglorg, the Wizard Archeon - Powerful Wizard-Lord who dwells in the Shedding Peaks. A race of long-furred Muskrats serve him loyally.

Ulfius, the Fasting Knight - Viciously cruel and skilled knight known for his hatred in all things fey.

Kessel the Napper - Named for her propensity to rest with the abnormally large sheep-hounds, Kessel is known well as a hound trainer and breeder.

Atari Cover Mockup

Not really sure what inspired me to do this..

Mageai and Sea of Boulders

Southwest of Orobia is a pitted vale stretching the distance from the Orobian highlands to the western gulf. This span is over 100 miles in length and is known as the Caustic Plains or the Sea of Boulders. It is an inhospitable place that is laden with round boulders of all sizes, ranging from the size of a small house to a pebble. This creates a virtual maze of crags, canyons, pitfalls and other broken hazards. Sulfurous plumes seep into the landscape and create a perpetual low hanging fog near ones feet and a damn caustic footing. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Sea of Boulders is the dark sheet of thick glass it is apparently sitting upon. Under the fog, under the boulders, and under the sand an endless sheet of thick smoky glass sits sturdy and ageless. In some places where the terrain can be cleared the glass can be seen clearly; meters thick, dark, swirling, with movement underneath, and seemingly unbreakable.

The terrain of the Sea of Boulders is free from grasses, shrubs or other low hanging plants. Spindly tree do reach up in some areas with foliage attached only to the very top. The most noticeable creatures are the Rock Tossers, bipedal tusked behemoths which move boulders in search of smaller creatures to devour. They do so by leveraging their tusks against the ground and boulder and shifting it weight while their flabby trunk reaches under to grab any morsels.

Smaller creatures have also adapted to the sulfurous fog and call the plains their home. Most are poisonous to eat or even touch. Swarms of putrid toads, lithe fog-snakes, boulder morays, sticky yellow slugs, furred flight-less birds and a plethora of other strange beings eek out a defiant existence. Lichens, molds and yellow toadstools often grow under boulders or in the damp crags. Few humanoids travel within but it is known that a few oasis are cast into the deeper areas of the plains, usually in large sinkholes with fresh water at the bottom.

One of these is Mageai, a small Dwarf village in a particularly large sinkhole. The sulfurous fog seep into the sinkhole but apparently is drained down into the crevasses. Water leaks from the side of the sinkhole and makes the appearance of constant light rain on the bottom. No more than 100 Dwarves dwell here and they are a paranoid and primitive lot suck in the age of bronze and copper. They will trade with peaceful travelers but it is difficult to attain their trust and most are not allowed to come inside their sinkhole home.

The Dwarves know of the thick glass that lay under the Sea of Boulders and say that another world lay beyond it. They believe it is taboo to travel under the glass but are well aware of several entrances, one of which is their own sinkhole home where the crevasse reach under the glass. The Dwarves also know of a handful of other breaks in the deep reaches of the Sea of Boulders, although they do not speak of such information and often intentionally hide these entrances. Once the Dwarves fully trust a visitor, that visitor is assumed to be a part of the village and is obliged to all manner of strange traditions, rituals and knowledge. Those who betray their trust are quickly exiled to the world under the glass and usually never heard from again.

What lay under the glass is a matter of speculation. No reliable accounts exist and no known explorers have returned from such a journey. It can only be said that glass extends throughout the Sea of Boulders and perhaps beyond under the mountains and under the sea as well.


This is loosely based upon the Moeraki Boulders. I had a distinct sense of deja'vu when I wrote this up. I looked over previous articles to see if repeated any ideas but did not see any. Hopefully I did not do so. I generally am prolific enough that I often forget what I previously wrote leading to the occasional contradictions. I suppose that is what editing is for when I eventually put the thing together.

- OF THIEVES

Journal of Khazrel Nakhu “Journey to the Cities Afar” 32’s93

- OF THIEVES

“Let me be clear about one thing before I bedraggle my readers through the loathsome pits of skulduggery. When I speak of Thieves I do not use the term loosely to anyone finds their ways gravitating towards crime rather than honest toil. Wither it encompass offenses such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, mugging, trespassing, shoplifting, intrusion, deception, and criminal conversion (though consider a bad pun to be a theft of my time). Such folk that willfully act out such things are often the most wretched of people with few redeeming qualities. Whatever motivation they have, most sorts lack any sort of prosperity in their life, driven by petty impulses, and many are short lived.”

“And then there is an entirely other sort, which is the Thief. One that perhaps walked the same trails of these criminals, but is something more than them. I have met many folk who were skilled in many things. I once knew a manling archer who used his bow so often and was so skillfully, watching him pluck a bow was nothing short of magical. The speed, delivery, and accuracy was a singular fluid motion of perfection. Some Thieves are of this ilk and are far removed from their lecherous criminal brethren. It is these folk that I both admire and fear, and I dug deep into my reserves of bravery to learn more of them in my travels.”

“It is no coincidence that I sought the Thieves in the city of Astrumdantalas, the Opal of the World, the great Free City. I used nearly every connection that I had to see the cities inner workings and perhaps gain an unhealthy amount of knowledge within. I surmise that many of the most skilled Thieves come here to find a measure of prosperity and camaraderie that they could not find else where. It is no secret that the city operated with a number of guilds, councils and merchant troupes. I can only image what I do not know about the city. Astrumdantalas is one of the few places where such men openly organize and are in fact a both balancing power and an important tool for the Scryers Guild.”

“Once they knew of my interests, I was invited to a sect known as Eight Aerlin which is a member of the larger collective Thieves Guild. I was most respectful and forthright about my writings and I think they appreciated the boldness. Among them met many unassuming folk who could pass easily for a baker, a farmer, a clothier, a charcoal burner and so forth. All highly skilled Thieves and single minded professionals. It was here that I learned that this sect operates as a part of the Thieves Guild but separate as far as organization and operations. From what I gathered there is no single ‘Thieves Guild’, but rather it is a vague term for a collection of professionals, similar to any craftsmen guild. Sects come and go, unworthy upstarts are quickly snuffed out, and most true sects are well aware of boundaries, politics, and rivals. They are similar to large families and control territory. “

“Unlike petty criminal organizations, they rarely vie with one another over territory as it is usually passed on from generation to generation, from city to city and realm to realm. Astrumdantalas itself is merely the fulcrum for the organization; a place to find new talent, resolve disputes, find jobs, and otherwise organize. I was told that one of the most difficult things for a sect to accomplish is finding new skilled members. I suppose this is why so many make the pilgrimage to Astrumdantalas. While I was not privy to where Eight Aerlin operated originally, I did learn that it had a dozen members, most of whom where human, and that they operated in conjunction with the Scryers Guild.”

“The two seem to have a symbiotic relationship. The Scyers Guild trades in all kinds of knowledge, and the Thieves Guild attains particular bits that they need. In turn the nobles and great lords cultivate the Scyers information for an assortment of needs; from predicting the future, to usurping a rival’s throne. By no means is this the Thieves Guild only source of revenue, but it is usually one that they tend to nurture and not sully for petty reasons.”

“Just about all manner of folk could employ a Thief for a variety of reasons, and Thieves themselves cover the full gambit of demeanor and personalities. Some will only steal from wealthy Halfling Merchants, others still will merely track and follow important peoples. Others are heartless killers who will snap a child’s neck without a second thought. All have desired talents and ones price is purely on the behest of the Thieves reputation, thus most Thieves rarely back out on a deal or sully their name. Even law enforcement will seek out skilled Thieves if they are particularly befuddled, as Thieves have a knack at unusual means to accomplish their goals.”

"Not all Thieves are guilded. Most novice Thieves must earn a name for themselves to rise above common rabble. Fame can come from many ends, but only those who have a measure of honor, even a twisted one, would be approached. Lone Thieves who are not guilded are not unheard of, but are a distinct minority. Guild sects do not like competition from solo Thieves and will often push them out or worse. Still, many solo Thieves exist, either has loners, exiles, eccentric individuals, or merely filling a vacuum where no Thief sect exists. Solo Thieves often have it much harder than guilders. The Guild often provides means to escape the law or at least reduce penalties in most areas if a Thief is inadvertently caught. Guilders usually pay dues but it is often far more lucrative than a solo Thief could be. Also the Guild tends to watch out for itself in times of trouble."

"Still, it is a hard life and few Thieves reach a measure of wealth where they can quit the business and go honest. There is always the next job, the next mark and the next rush of pilfering a noble’s riches. Many Thieves find a sad fate at a guardsman’s blade or cross harsh words with the wrong master Thief. The politics of the Guild can likewise take its toll in exasperating struggles for contracts, pouching talent or even stealing from each other. With this in mind it is no wonder that some of the most talented Thieves seek more direct and tangible goals by adventuring in times of struggle."

The Scryers Guild is a bit like a Bene Gesserit think tank, minus the transhuman powers. The Thieves are their main means of getting hard information since they don't have the skill to do so themselves. I had a hard time justifying a Thief Guild, especially ones that span cities and realms, so it seems a good of a reason as any. Over all I think the Thief is pretty true to B/X and I didn't want to make the lore too specific where they are almost a different class. I may eventually rename the Scryers Guild, the Thieves Guild to something more setting specific. For now its a literary place holder.

I wanted to include some Spy vs Spy elements into the Thief class (hence the pic) but found it surprisingly hard to do without forcing PCs into one guild or another. I think I will use this element, but just on the RPing side of things rather than a setting level with forced conflict. I think rival Thieves would be good story elements so they would attempt to out-do each other, sabotage each other, kill each other off and so forth.

Quick Update

We have had some major web incursions at my work and I am having to manually clean up some malicious code. Time consuming to say the least. Hopefully by Wednesday it will be straightened out and I can think about some more articles here.