Where to start? And where to go from there?

[Havard]

Well, I've started looking through the Zeitgeist book, looks interesting so far. Still, I suspect "my" mental vision of Blackmoor will draw on the factual details from these sources but the feel will probably still be based on FFC. There's something about the carefree spirit of those early days that clicks with me.

The feel of the FFC is defintely awesome. Does that mean you also want to set your campaign at the time of the FFC (years 995-1000) or in the ZGG era of the setting?

The biggest difference is probably that in the FFC Blackmoor is still a province of the Great Kingdom, whereas in the DA modules and D20 line, Blackmoor is an independent kingdom.

-Havard

[Vile]

I don't think I can make that decision yet, as I haven't got a clear enough mental picture of either era. But the world* I'm using does not really have any great kingdoms of any kind, so Blackmoor would almost certainly be independent.



* I use the term "world" loosely - as I said I'm basically adapting the Outdoor Survival map with few changes. The one major difference is that everything east of the easternmost river becomes open sea, with mountains and forests therein becoming islands. Blackmoor itself would be located in the big swamp to the south-west (as you probably know, OD&D turns lakes on the OS board into castles). Other elements are likely to shift around somewhat, too, but I haven't decided where yet.

This will probably mutate into the official known world for BLUEHOLME™, which will of course mean that the eventual "Blackmoor" will be more of a homage than the actual thing itself. Just between you and me, I've already settled on a name that dedicates it to not just one, but two of my inspirations. The name is Castle Blackpool, and the other inspiration is that classic programme whose first showing in Europe coincided with my discovery of D&D - Wizards and Warriors! 8)

[finarvyn]

If memory serves me correctly, the Outdoor Survival map wasn't actually "the world of Blackmoor" but was a somewhat generic local map used for adventures to the south.

Rob Conley's Southland map is a nice extension of the lands to the south as well.


I think you can get a larger image of this if you go here:
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/ ... s-map.html

[Havard]

Note the similarities between the souther desert on the OS map and the Valley of the Ancients on later Blackmoor maps... 8)

-Havard

[Vile]

Oh, I know OS wasn't the basis of Blackmoor (but didn't I read somewhere that Dave Arneson had his players go out and adventure using the OS board?). But I'm not using the real Blackmoor map, just adapting the locations and peoples and fitting them into my version of the OS map. You see, what I'm trying to do is create a setting reminiscent of Blackmoor, but not one that my players will immediately recognise and learn all about. :wink:

[Havard]

Oh, I know OS wasn't the basis of Blackmoor (but didn't I read somewhere that Dave Arneson had his players go out and adventure using the OS board?). But I'm not using the real Blackmoor map, just adapting the locations and peoples and fitting them into my version of the OS map. You see, what I'm trying to do is create a setting reminiscent of Blackmoor, but not one that my players will immediately recognise and learn all about. :wink:

Sounds like an interesting project

From what I understand (via Greg), Dave had a small map of the Blackmoor region available (as seein in the FFC), but once the heroes decided to explore the lands outside that map, he began using the OS map. If they moved beyond the borders of the OS map, there would be an identical tile there etc.

Not sure if that is something you would consider for your setting...

-Havard