Points of Lights

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robertsconley
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Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

Some info on Points of Light....

Points of Light is a gazetteer for four separate lands. It is 48 pages and retails for $12.99. Each land has a map done in old school style with numbered hexes. Each lands has text describing a series of geographical locations and locales keyed to the numbed hex grid.

The product is system neutral with minimal stats. What stats there are are suitable for all editions of AD&D/D&D and other fantasy RPGs. By happy chance the concepts and idea used for several of the lands was similar to those promoted for the latest edition. The product had it's origins in Wizard's in not giving me permission for doing a Wilderlands style treatment of the Outdoor Survival Map. They were nice about it particularly in steering me to the right person to ask. But in the end they said no.

Example Entry
0913 Sam’s Landing (Hamlet)
This small hamlet of mud huts is the marshalling area for Baron Beldon’s raids on the trade caravan passing between Westguard and Bolzak. There are usually several dozen canoes and a handful of barges pulled onto shore at any time. In the center of the hamlet is the Green Frog Inn, where Tom Lodon (Rog6) rules the thugs and pirates of Sam’s Landing with an iron fist. Nailed to a post next to his “throne” is the shriveled head of Sam Dalton, the former chief of the hamlet. Over 40 pirates and raiders live in the hamlet, along with a dozen women, and twenty slaves to tend potatoes patches. A good portion of the crop is used to brew Silver Lightning, a type of hard liquor. A dozen wererats (1 HD) live on the outskirts of town and are used as scouts on raids.
Each land is about 125 miles by 100 miles. They are provided with a minimal background to make it easy to add it to any referee's campaign.

The four lands presented are

Wildland: The fall of the Bright Empire left warring factions in its wake. As savage barbarians and wicked humanoids roam the land, the last bastions of civilization cower behind their crumbling city walls. A dark age has come, and none may live to tell the tale.

Southland: On the frontiers of the Great Kingdom, the nations of men, elves and dwarves join together against the wicked elves of Nighportal Keep and the Orcs of the Bloody Fist. A realm is yours for the taking, if you can carve it from the wilderness.

Borderland: Two factions clash over war-torn fields, battling for dominance in a civil war that that has torn a once-mighty empire in two. When brother strives against brother, and blood runs in the streets, who will emerge to unify the broken land -- and at what cost, peace?

The Swamps of Acheron: In the Outer Planes, amid fetid swamplands and ice-choked mountains, the fell god Sarrath holds court. In a realm where gods stalk the earth, will you dare to take a stand, or will you succumb to evil's siren song and take up the Serpent Banner?

http://www.goodman-games.com/4380preview.html



Enjoy

Rob Conley
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

A partial preview of a Points of Light Map. Note that a full fledged preview will done closer to the release date.

Image
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by tadk »

The little blurb on the upcoming looked good

This no cinches the deal for me

Time to get one ordered at the local game shop
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

This tops my must have list. :D
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by xredjasonx »

I still do not see this or PC Pearls up yet on Amazon. Anyone know when hey will be up for preorder?
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

robertsconley wrote:A partial preview of a Points of Light Map. Note that a full fledged preview will done closer to the release date.

Image
Any update on the preview? or actual release date? I'm looking to (hopefully) start up a new campaign soon and this would be great to have as the base for my campaign.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

OK, I'll try another question. :D

The partial map posted, which of the 4 Points of Light settings is it from?
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by goodmangames »

Points of Light should ship from the printer this week... which will put it in stores the 2nd or 3rd week of August, depending on timing.

I'll let Rob to answer the other questions...
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

Maliki wrote: The partial map posted, which of the 4 Points of Light settings is it from?
In the middle of Southland

Some excerpts
Introduction
Southland is meant to pay homage to the early days
of role-playing. Back then, high-level play was about
building and defending your own barony. Since the
original game was about dungeon crawling, players and
DMs that wanted outdoor adventures were forced to
turn to other games to meet their needs. One solution
was the game Outdoor Survival by Avalon Hill, which
included a board that could be used as a wilderness map
that players could explore. Dave Arneson, one of the
authors of the original edition, originated the use of
this board and placed it south of his main campaign. As
his campaign progressed, several of the players began to
clear the map of monsters and build their own baronies.
It is in the spirit of those early days that this area is
named Southland. A land of few realms and many wideopen
spaces, Southland is an area where your players
can establish their own realms.
Background
Here on the wild frontier, adventurers struggle to
push back the wilderness. Mile by mile they push back
the monsters and move the boundaries of civilization
forward. Opposing them are the Blood Fist orcs, the
dark elves of the Underrealm, and renegades from the
Grand Kingdom, yet there are allies to be found within
the Southland.
Where the Sarduin and the Darkwine rivers join, the
Grand Kingdom has founded its first major settlement,
Castle Westguard. The settlement is growing due in
large part to the thriving trade between the Grand
Kingdom and the Dwarves of Bolzak. The dwarves
send shipments of weapons, iron, and gold through
their port at Nilik, which is then shipped by barge to
Castle Westguard, and finally moved by caravan over
the Golden Pass to the Grand Kingdom. The dwarves
also trade with the halflings of Dunshire, who barter
grain and fruit for protection and iron ore.
South of Westguard lies the elven realm of Silverdim,
the last outpost of the elves in Southland. Over 200 years
ago the Bloody Fist orcs, led by the dragon Arcador,
invaded the elven homeland of Silverwood. The orcs
laid waste to Silverwood, slaughtered many elves, and
claimed the forest as their own. After the orc invasion,
the remnants of the elves regrouped and traveled east,
eventually establishing a haven in Silverdim. The
Silverwood remains dominated by the orcs to this day,
and has been renamed the Blood Forest.
The dark elves of House Ardize have established an
outpost at Nightportal Keep, and have decided to
expand their power to the surface world. They have
recently made contact with the evil Baron Beldon, who
dwells in a castle to the north, beneath The Sunset
Rim. Beldon is an infamous traitor from a kingdom to
the north, and rumor has it that the baron betrayed his
king and fled to Southland to escape an almost certain
execution. Currently, he deals in slaves and contraband,
and has carved out a small realm for himself on the back
of these nefarious activities. The Baron has welcomed
the advances of the dark elves, and a tentative alliance
has grown between the two evil powers.
Scattered throughout the Southland are the ruins of
the Bright Empire. A thousand years ago, the Empire
was a shining force for good until their own hubris
brought them down. Today, the relics and artifacts of
the Bright Empire are eagerly sought for their potent
power, despite the rumors that the gods have cursed
many of them.
A section that is standard to all the maps where I talk about the premises for the maps and what needed to be done to place the map in your campaign.
Adaptation Notes
Southland can be any frontier region of a kingdom in
your campaign. Any ancient empire in your campaign’s
history can work in place of the Bright Empire. The
Underrealm is a common feature in many fantasy
campaigns, and House Ardize can be replaced with a
suitable dark elf enemy of your choice. If no dark elves
exist, any non-human, evil race can be substituted.
The Bloody Fist Orcs are numerous enough that even
a determined party of high-level adventures won’t able
to destroy them in a single fight. Their lair may be
destroyed several times, but they will keep coming back
until the players can scour the Blood Forest clean of
their presence.
The trade between Bolzak, Westguard, and the Grand
Kingdom has established a rudimentary economy that
players may expand when they establish their own
baronies. Threats to this economy can serve as the basis
for many adventures as the brigands of Castle Beldon
raid the caravans and river routes.
The Mist Falls
A rainbow cloud of mist marks these spectacular
hundred-foot-high falls. On a clear day the mist cloud
can be seen two hexes away. Legend has it there is an
entrance to the fey realm hidden behind the falls. Baron
Beldon has sent two expeditions to find this entrance,
but none have returned.
Ryne Creek
Ryne Creek forms the eastern boundary of Baron
Beldon’s lands. The baron’s cavalry patrol the creek
down to Wicking Lake.
The Sunset Rim
The Sunset Rim is an escarpment averaging 60 feet
high. It runs for nearly 50 miles, forming the base of the
Redstone Mountains. The rim’s base holds numerous
caves inhabited by tribes of troglodytes, except near
Baron Beldon’s realm, where the baron’s slavers use the
caves as holding pens for their humanoid stock.
Wicking Lake
This is the largest lake in Southland. Eight miles long
and five miles wide, it reaches depths of 100 feet. The
local fishermen claim to have seen a crystalline city of
unearthly beauty within the depths of the lake. The
southeast shore is infested with harpies.
Wolfwood
These woods are inhabited by giant aurochs along with
packs of worgs that prey on them. The woods are also
known to have a huge variety of herbs, including many
rare varieties eagerly sought by alchemists.
1114 Westfield (Hamlet)
A dozen long, wooden barracks and a stone manor house
make up this hamlet. Here Lord Farris (Ftr6) runs a
latifundium with nearly 100 slaves (nearly all human),
5 guards (Ftr3), and 10 overseers (Ftr1) who supervise
slaves in the fields. The slave labor in Westfield supplies
nearly all of the food for Castle Beldon (Hex 1214).
Westfield is also home to Captain Travis (Rgr5) and his
four slave hunters (Rgr3), employed by Baron Beldon
to hunt escapees. They often patrol the land, out to ten
miles (two hexes) around the various settlements.
1214 Castle Beldon (Castle)
Baron Victor Beldon was once one of the Grand
Kingdom’s most powerful nobles. Twenty years ago the
king died and the baron unveiled a plot to force the
succession council to name him king. He failed; and
when the new king was crowned, Beldon was named
a traitor. With his life in grave peril, Baron Beldon
gathered one hundred of his most trusted men and
fled over the Westwall into the wild. The baron found
several small hamlets and conquered them, settling
there with his men. When his scouts found a superb
location for a castle on the Sunset Rim, the baron forced
the people of the conquered hamlets to relocate. After
Castle Beldon was built, the survivors were separated
into two hamlets and forced to work as slaves, growing
food for the baron and his men.
With increasing trade between Bolzak and Westguard,
Baron Beldon began to recruit desperate men eager
to raid. The arrival of the dark elves provided much
needed allies. Victor Beldon’s new opportunities have
allowed him to plot his return to power in the Grand
Kingdom.
Castle Beldon is built on a low mesa next to the Sunset
Rim. The only pathway snakes upward on the remains
of a collapsed ridge that once connected the mesa to the
rim on the southeast side. The other faces of the mesa
are sheer cliffs ranging from 50 to 100 feet high. There
is a spring present at the top of the mesa. The pressure
of an underground river forcing its way up the cracks
forms the spring.
Baron Victor Beldon (Clr11) is a priest of the blood god,
Azeel. His personal guard is commanded by a captain
(Ftr7), and consists of 5 guards (Ftr2). There are nearly
120 bandits and light footmen living at the castle, along
with 100 slaves and 20 camp followers. Along with the
bandits, the baron supports a coven of 4 dark wizards
(Wiz8, Wiz6, 2 Wiz2) to provide magical aid. He has
an acolyte, Saldor Balsign (Clr6), to lead his men in the
blood rites of Azeel.
Image
1409 The Crocodile Hunter
A giant crocodile (10 HD) lives along the northwest
shore of Wicking Lake. There is a 20% chance per day
the party is ambushed if they stay within 200 yards of the
shoreline. The crocodile’s typical attack is to rush out
of the water and grapple its target with a bite, and then
drag the victim back into the water until he drowns.
1411 Ruined Glory
This site was once a tower used by the famed hippogriffs
riders of the Bright Empire. The tower has long since
fallen into ruin, and only the foundation remains. A
hundred years ago, a crack in the foundation formed,
allowing access to the bottom basements of the tower.
The tower is currently occupied by 24 wererats (1 HD),
20 giant rats (1 HD), and dozens of regular rats (1/4
HD). In a forgotten chamber are the remains of the
harnesses and gear once used by the hippogriff riders.
A dozen full sets can be salvaged and repaired.
Author Note: There is another locale, not on the preview map, that relates to the above.
1413 Mistfield (Hamlet)
This hamlet consists of several barracks and a stone
manor house. The slaves of Mistfield grow delicacies
for the baron and his men. Because of the Mist Falls,
the area is considerably wetter than the rest of the
baron’s lands, allowing various fruit orchards and vines
to be grown. The hamlet consists of 80 slaves that tend
the orchards, 3 guards (Ftr3), and 8 overseers (Ftr1) to
supervise the slaves.
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xredjasonx
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by xredjasonx »

Gonna have to buy this for sure. ;) This must have been so much fun to create.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

xredjasonx wrote:Gonna have to buy this for sure. ;) This must have been so much fun to create.
Yes it was.

However a word of caution. After doing this I think I know one of the reason why we haven't seen this style of product before. After the first two dozen "ideas" you are still not done. And you have to come up with dozens more. With my own campaign I used a lot of stats and short hand so that even 20 years later I still know what in that locale. But that system is totally useless to another individual (something I learned when I had co-DMs) as it is too terse.

The Wilderlands of High Fantasy and this project was the first time I actually had to write out EVERYTHING and what a lot of work that was. However not having to stat everything to the Nth degree was a nice change of pace from Badabaskor. One thing I had to make sure of was to include a variety of plots and not focus solely on the types I run. When you read Borderlands, it is a good example of the type of stuff I run for my personal game.

Wildlands reflects Dwayne's style (who wrote most of it). Southland is from what I learned in the the last two years participating in the old school/retro gaming community. Swamps of Acheron is the only one from my home campaign but it atypical of the material I usually run. Dwayne helped a lot with that as he remembered more about that particular campaign than I did.

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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

8) Thanks for the preview.

This sounds great, I always liked the how Wilderlands presented the hexes and lots of adventure ideas, but was overwhelmed by the size and it just seemed there was too much there. These "Points of Light" sound like much of the same but on a more managable scale.

A definate pick up.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

Will this be available in PDF format as well as print?
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

Are the large X's on the actual map, or are they just on the preview? I'm hoping just the preview, I'd like to be able to show the map to my players, but knowing them they will head for the nearest X knowing that there is something there.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

How big is each hex?
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

Maliki wrote:How big is each hex?
5 miles like the Wilderlands and the OD&D standard. However you probably can go up to 15 miles per without continuity problems with the text.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

Maliki wrote:Are the large X's on the actual map, or are they just on the preview? I'm hoping just the preview, I'd like to be able to show the map to my players, but knowing them they will head for the nearest X knowing that there is something there.
I will submitting player maps to Joseph Goodman in the middle of August in the form of PDFs you can print out. Not only they will be missing the GM symbols (the Xs) but other features (like Southland won't have Nightshade Keep or Castle Beldon.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

robertsconley wrote:
Maliki wrote:How big is each hex?
5 miles like the Wilderlands and the OD&D standard. However you probably can go up to 15 miles per without continuity problems with the text.
5 miles should work fine, thanks.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

robertsconley wrote:
Maliki wrote:Are the large X's on the actual map, or are they just on the preview? I'm hoping just the preview, I'd like to be able to show the map to my players, but knowing them they will head for the nearest X knowing that there is something there.
I will submitting player maps to Joseph Goodman in the middle of August in the form of PDFs you can print out. Not only they will be missing the GM symbols (the Xs) but other features (like Southland won't have Nightshade Keep or Castle Beldon.
Very 8) (If you can't tell I'm psyched about this product. :D )

Thanks for all the feedback.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Tavis »

I was already psyched for this based on maps and utility alone - I've recently started a wilderness sandbox campaign and am learning how much work it takes to stay ahead of wherever the players might go next. But somehow I didn't pick up from other previews I've seen that this drew on a long-term campaign of yours, and that makes me even more psyched. I love the lived-in feel of a campaign setting that's grown out of actual play. For sure writing up your game notes for others to use must have been a ton of work - but playtesting is also an important part of development work that I think is easily skimped on, and hearing that tons of that work happened up front (probably before you even started thinking of it as work) is IMO a great indicator of quality material.

So can we hear some details and war stories from the campaign? You guys will never hear a more sincere request to "tell me about your characters" :)
Co-author: Forgotten Heroes: Fist, Fang, and Song and Scythe and Shroud; Heroes' Handbook: Eladrin; and two finished Goodman projects that haven't been announced yet, with others on the drawing board!
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by robertsconley »

Tavis wrote: So can we hear some details and war stories from the campaign? You guys will never hear a more sincere request to "tell me about your characters" :)
I recount some of the early days of my game here

http://odd74.proboards76.com/index.cgi? ... hread=1185

I will have another post done for it in a week or so.

Also while Acheron does come pretty much as is from my campaign. However other three are inspired by my campaign rather than direct copies. Basically taking various situations and making them them more approachable so that it is easier for you to run out of the box. The originals situations are far more complex.

Eventually it is my hope to publish my world as is. The trick is to do that and make the individual parts useful in of themselves. I don't want to repeat the old main box/ gazetteer paradigm.

Points of Light is an important step to learn how to do this. As well as an opportunity for Goodman Games and myself to get some fun stuff out there for people to play and enjoy.
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by xredjasonx »

robertsconley wrote:
Eventually it is my hope to publish my world as is. The trick is to do that and make the individual parts useful in of themselves. I don't want to repeat the old main box/ gazetteer paradigm.

Points of Light is an important step to learn how to do this. As well as an opportunity for Goodman Games and myself to get some fun stuff out there for people to play and enjoy.
That'd be cool. I like the idea of hardcover book campaign settings, maybe you could do it that way?
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Maliki »

Just put my order in for this. :D
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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Omote »

I'm really starting to look forward to this now. My hope is to pick up a copy and run an adventure using PoL as the basis for the setting at GenCon... This will be available at GenCon right?

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Re: Points of Lights

Post by Omote »

Additionally, these maps are just fantastic. How are the setting maps going to be presented in the points of Light product (full page, half page)? Have you ever considered just making these types of maps? :wink:

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