Elevator Pitch:
You have just arrived in the small seaside city of Slateholm, a figurative island of safety in a sea of unknown danger. Outside the town, and over the nearby wall, there is the great unknown continent called Tor. You are from a land far from here and know nothing about Tor, except what you've been told: Tor is filled with monsters, but also with treasures from ancient civilizations. It is a place where you will find adventure and riches, but also can bring you danger and death.
Well, the ship left you at the docks with far to little gold to book passage back home, or anywhere else. It's here you'll make your fortune, roll back the darkness, carve out your destiny...or die trying!
The only thing in your favor is that the local Duke, Duke John, has formed an Adventurer's Guild here and paid your fees for the first year's membership. He also paid your passage, so you also owe him a debt of loyalty. Standing in the Adventure's Guild Hall, located at the back of The Trident and Sword Tavern, with a mug of ale in your hand you might spy a few folk you met on the ship. They look as lost as you feel. You might also spy a number of folks that look like hardened veterans that might know their way around. Maybe if you team up you can take one of the jobs posted on the wall, earn a little coin, and get started with your life of adventure.
Well are you willing to give it a try?
---Well, the ship left you at the docks with far to little gold to book passage back home, or anywhere else. It's here you'll make your fortune, roll back the darkness, carve out your destiny...or die trying!
The only thing in your favor is that the local Duke, Duke John, has formed an Adventurer's Guild here and paid your fees for the first year's membership. He also paid your passage, so you also owe him a debt of loyalty. Standing in the Adventure's Guild Hall, located at the back of The Trident and Sword Tavern, with a mug of ale in your hand you might spy a few folk you met on the ship. They look as lost as you feel. You might also spy a number of folks that look like hardened veterans that might know their way around. Maybe if you team up you can take one of the jobs posted on the wall, earn a little coin, and get started with your life of adventure.
Well are you willing to give it a try?
The Western Lands is set in a sandboxy world. It is something of a West Marches style game where all the PC's are part of The Adventurer's Guild in the lonely city of Slateholm on the coast of a dark and unknown continent.
Adventurer's Guild Members can take jobs from the Guild's Job Board or simply go out and explore. There are no set groups, the PC's form a party and go! When they come back to Slateholm to trade in their loot and Level Up they might continue with a party or join another. Or maybe they die during the adventure, in that case players can create a new character, join the Adventure's Guild and find a party with whom to continue playing.
FYI, Shadowdark is meant to be a "dangerous" game where death comes early and often, but interestingly enough, none of the PC's in the game have died yet. I haven't pulled any punches, but they haven't not gotten in over their heads...yet anyway...and have rolled exceptionally well (while my rolls haven't been very good) during dangerous situations. I guess both LUCK and luck have played a part in that. I don't expect that to continue, so be warned.
Player PC's that aren't in a group wait around in the City until they can join a party, or maybe convince me to let them do something "solo" while waiting....player initiative here! Players that have to step back from playing for a while can do so and their PC's can just wait in Slateholm for them to get back into action without affecting the rest of the game. I'm not opposed to players developing multiple PC's (but only 1 can be in play at a time) and switch from one to another as they move from adventure to adventure.
At the moment there are 8 players who have been running two separate adventures...one is still in progress as it's under the city, but they have "come up" to sell their loot, rest, reequip, and Carouse. If you know Shadowdark you know that's the only way to Level Up, you have to Carouse. There are rules for that! IAC, the 8 PC's might combine into different configurations for what comes next, other Adventurers might join them, some might step away. New PC's might get into the mix.
And that's where you come it!
If this sort of game interests you, come over to The Western Lands and look around, read some threads, see if this looks like your sort of game. If it is let me know and I'll add you to the forum. Then you can start developing a character, finding an adventure, forming a party, and having some fun!
Some rules...
- Rules: Shadowdark RPG (the free Quick Start Rules are absolutely fine to start and nothing more is needed). I have made some minor modifications to help with PBP format, for example:
- Light can't be tied to real time, so a Torch or flask of oil in a lantern lasts 6 10 minute Turns during Exploration, each Turn is divided into 10 1 minute rounds during combat and this is tracked!
- I award LUCK, but as we're not FTF, no actual tokens can be used. Instead Luck if you want to apply a LUCK token to a roll or some action you need to call it when you're making your turn. I'll apply it, if needed, but let you keep it if you don't.
- A lot of the Rolls are done by me (the GM) to speed things along, but that varies by player.
- Max HP + Con Mod at first level, normal rolled HP after that. So PC's are a bit tougher to start, but not much.
- Encumbrance will be rolled Str or 10, whichever is highest. Gear slots are enforced!!!
- I will trust players to keep track of things and to play fairly, until you prove otherwise to me.
- PCs Ancestry [Human, Elf, Dwarf, or Halfling ONLY]
- PCs Class [Fighter, Priest, Mage, Thief, but I'll reluctantly accept Bard and Ranger from a supplement]
- PCs Alignment [Lawful or Neutral...no Chaotic for this game]
- PC Backgrounds really do matter! Call for the background you rolled to be useful and it often will be.
- PCs start at Level 1.
- Setting: D&D style fantasy with a mostly unknown map.
- Style: Sandbox with lots of hex and dungeon crawling, lots of hack and slash, but interaction between PC's can be a lot of fun too!
- Rating: PG for violence and language, sometimes dark and gritty, but with elements of humor.
- Posting Rate: About twice a week, at minimum, often more, especially during combat, but I'll strive to not leave anyone behind who can't do more than 2/wk.
