Project Overview

[dmw71]

Project Overview
I am in the process of writing a module that I hope to someday publish. As I've never published anything before, this is a challenging endeavor, and will still likely take a fair bit of time to complete. But, I have been making a fair bit of progress the last week or two.


Random Notes

• Most of the activity here will be conducted in a private forum. I am posting this publicly just to... well, mainly, I guess, for accountability. Now that it's "out there," I feel a greater sense of motivation to prioritize it.
• While I ultimately look to playtest this scenario in live games (virtual or in-person), I will probably look to test certain portions of it here in the forums, just to get an feel for potential player decisions, encounter strength, etc...
  • Also, obviously, to gain meaningful feedback.
• Once aspects are ready to be tested, I will set them up here and seek out playtesters.

[dmw71]

There's a part of me that is tempted to open this public portion up to any/everyone (like what was done with the 'Scenario Simulator'), but I'm struggling to figure out how/what I did to set that up.

In the meantime, I guess, if anyone is interested in being able to post here -- ask questions, provide suggestions, etc... -- feel free to PM me and I'll get you added.

[dmw71]

I have a (strong) feeling that I'm making this a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

Can I use a bullywug since it was introduced in the Field Folio?
Should I use the Rushmoors in the Greyhawk setting as a base for the adventure?

The Rushmoors are marches, not a swamp. I really need a swamp.

Or, should I create my own campaign setting and have this adventure (and future adventures) based in it?
Would this idea work best as a one-shot, or build it out to be a larger module?

My plan is to take a step back for a few days, maybe enjoy the weekend without obsessing over every little detail, and hopefully gain a fresh perspective next week.

[Rex]

Enjoy your weekend first!

Then don't worry about the setting at all. I think the most often changed thing with a purchased adventure is the setting (actually it applies to free ones too). The DM just makes it fit there own setting. Just say it is in an old swamp.

[dmw71]

Okay, the timing of this was quite fortuitous:

Tiers of Darkness: (ToD1) Lair of the Silver Rings - OSRIC

I've had thoughts on creating a level 1 to level 20 overarching campaign for quite a while, inspired by the gnoll campaign detailed by Sly Flourish (back in 2018), whom has since created at least three other 1-to-20 campaign outlines:

1. The Hunger: A Level 1 to 20 Gnoll Campaign
2. Harvesters of Worlds: A 1st to 20th Level Githyanki and Mind Flayer Campaign Outline
3. Demogorgon Must Die: A Twenty Level D&D Campaign Outline
4. A World Without Heroes: A 1st to 20th level Campaign Outline

I know, for my first ever publishing attempt, I will be best served by starting with a smaller, contained project... but this is my goal.


And Cloak and Dragons is on the verge of introducing the same type of thing, for OSRIC!

[dmw71]

And Cloak and Dragons is on the verge of introducing the same type of thing, for OSRIC!

Ahh, he's releasing the same module for 1e and 5e, which, at least in my mind, is smart:

Tiers of Darkness: (ToD1) Lair of the Silver Rings - OSRIC
Tiers of Darkness: (ToD1) Lair of the Silver Rings - 5e

[Leitz]

You know I'm chanting "publish...publish...publish".

[hedgeknight]

I'd play in the Gnoll campaign. I love 'em!

[Rex]

Gnolls have always been one of my favorite bad guys.

[dmw71]

I had a thought earlier today that I want to commit to:

Not only do I want to develop this idea into a formally published adventure, available in PDF and print (maybe POD?), but I want to actually run it at a con next year.

Which will involve a lot of play testing between now and then.

Which also means, I need to get my $%^& in gear.

[Rex]

Nothing like pushing yourself.

[hedgeknight]

YES!!!

[dmw71]

I had a tremendously busy day today which hasn't allowed me to sit down and actually commit any written or typed words, but I have had many thoughts on this adventure idea I've been nurturing.

Two "biggies":

1. I am scrapping the swamp location and replacing it with a jungle or rainforest. It's been a battle to come up with encounter ideas when my locations were limited to a gnomes warren, a bullywug lair, and the area in-between. There are no hills in a swamp, and my plan is to introduce a cave system where the bullywugs now lair.
2. I'm also tempted to scrap the whole froghemoth aspect and use a different hatched creature instead (I'm still researching this). Or scrap the non-bullywug leader altogether and just stick with a powerful bullywug leading its own kind.

New working title: Rainforest Rescue.

[Rex]

Rain-forest is cool and all for it. That said, I live in Vermont which is hilly and mountainous and covered in swamps of all sorts of sizes.

This is some pictures of Victory Bog in Vermont. Interestingly it is the only place in the northern half of the country with quicksand. Just something to look at for a minute, I am all for the rain forest.

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=victory ... 60x260.jpg

[dmw71]

I live in Vermont which is hilly and mountainous and covered in swamps of all sorts of sizes.

Huh. Are there hills and swamps in (extremely) close proximity?


It's a shit doodle, but here was something I just threw together quickly last night (those weird ass looking things are meant to be mangrove trees. Or cyprus. They're just meant to illustrate "a" tree that would be found in a swamp. ):

Swamp Hills.jpeg (266.45 KiB) Viewed 64 times

I always pictured an abandoned hunter's outpost out in the middle of a swamp... which the bullywugs discovered and took over. The hills and caves were a thought that came to me out of the blue last night, but the idea would work perfectly to fill out the region and give more opportunities for exploration. I realize reddit isn't exactly a source of absolute truth, but I did a quick "can swamps have hills" Google search last night after my revelation and this -- Can swamps have hills? -- was the Q&A that led me to abandon my swamp idea.

With bullywugs being the primary monster (and, in truth, the BBEG despite the (then?) inclusion of a tadhemoth), I immediately pivoted to a jungle or rainforest. The two are so close, so rainforest edged out the win simply because I kind of like the stupid new title I'm working under.

[Rex]

I grew up in Vermont and have lived here almost my entire life, 52 years if we don't count a couple of short lived side adventurers elsewhere. Vermont is famous for its mountains but it is mostly hilly with some mountains. Very rough terrain. Also very swampy. The reason is in rough terrain like this you get hollows that don't drain well. So theses hollows are all at varying elevations from the lowest valleys to right up on top of mountains (yup, right on top). If they drain well it is just a mountain hollow, but most don't drain well so silt and water collect in these hollows and form swamps of varying sizes. Often many of them clustered around each other. Often with high points where trees can and do grow. Around here cedar which was brought here by both French and English settlers grow. Deer love these stands of thick nasty trees in the middle of swamps because they are great shelter and protection and there is always food nearby. So in the fall I spend entire days sneaking through these swamps, trying to keep dry by sticking to the dry spots that stick up a little bit out of the standing water. Moving through the stands of trees to make sure none of the sneaky deer are hiding from me. Most don't hunt his way anymore, but it is my passion. Sneaking along, trying to be better at it then the deer, usually failing. But I manage to get a couple of the dumber ones each year to fill my freezer. Either way, I know swamps, particularly the ones in mountains and hills. And yes a little hunters cabin on a knoll in a swamp is very much a possibility. in fact I have built crude versions myself for an occasional night spent deep in the swamp.

[hedgeknight]

Rex, I need to coming hunting with you!!
Growing up in the hills of Virginia, I froze my ass off sitting on the side of a ridge in November, and not seeing anything living all day. I much prefer stalking, and have taken several deer that way.

Here's a swamp hut

cabin in the swamp.jpg (125.06 KiB) Viewed 49 times

[Leitz]

Rex, I need to coming hunting with you!!
Growing up in the hills of Virginia, I froze my ass off sitting on the side of a ridge in November, and not seeing anything living all day. I much prefer stalking, and have taken several deer that way.

Which hills, asks the guy who youthfully tromped around Covington, Hillsville, and a few other places...

[Rex]

Stalking, still hunting, and drives are how I hunt. Can't sit still, I just go nuts. Probably explains how I can juggle so many games as relaxation, LOL.

[dmw71]

Here's a swamp hut

Nice!

I had two very similar images saved:

Abandoned hunter outpost in swamp 1.jpg (622.91 KiB) Viewed 30 times

Abandoned hunter outpost in swamp 2.jpg (402.82 KiB) Viewed 30 times