Pocket Lands

[Deleted]

probably sucks but i have to share. i like it. hope you do too.

Front

Back


BattleMap


what are all of those numbers on the BattleMap?
13-18 are the potential locations of obstacles. for each of those spaces, roll 1d6 on the 'obstacle chart' for that terrain/hex.
2-12 are the potential locations of foes. once you've determined the type of foes encountered (if any), another 1d6 will determine the number of foes (not settled on that yet). finally, roll 2d6 for each foe encountered and place it in the corresponding numbered space or adjacent to it if already occupied.

starting location for the party:
the party can be placed on or adjacent to any of the lettered spaces - party's choice. if the party wins initiative, they can wait and decide after enemy placement. if the party loses initiative, they must decide and place PCs before enemy placement.

(i imagine two of these BattleMaps, placed end-to-end would be excellent for arena-style battles)

tree	bush	boulder	rubble
fire	water	shadow	blood

EDIT: updated back pic to reduce dice and correct typo
8:53 AM 12/19/2013 - updated front and battlemap

[Deleted]

DISCLAIMER: Chris/Fenway, i know this isn't what you were looking for with the Pack of Peril idea, but i've been working on some of this for awhile. i reached a point where i needed to create a world/map and i was really loathing the task. the Pack of Peril / 7-hex map idea really connected things for me, hence my over enthusiasm on the blog. This is in no way an attempt to subvert, subdue, railroad, or influence the Pack of Peril idea.

[Fenway5]

Hey ewookie!

I in NO WAY want to limit your creative genius! This is great stuff!

Just because I am swamped in getting a project done, doesn't mean you shouldn't run ahead and do your thing man! Creative chaos is a GREAT THING!

I know that my initial idea isn't fleshed out enough yet, so its great to see you run like the wind and create this kind of kick ass awesomeness!

So keep on making the magic happen amigo!

I am not the rules pope so I really appreciate seeing where the inspiration takes you!

[Deleted]

thanks man!

i'm thinking of changing the scale of this 'megahex map' so that each hex is 144 miles (3days travel). Nested within each hex is another megahex. each hex would be 48 miles (1 day travel); nested within those is another megahex, each hex 16 miles (4hrs travel).

[geordieracer]

Great stuff ewookie, I like how the megahex, the nested megahexes and the battlemap all logically tie in together and reinforce the terrain type. You can zoom it or pull back without needless complexity. Keep at it !

[Deleted]

thanks, man!
i was actually afraid that all of that would seem complicated. yes, the point of the nested megahexes with those scales was to be able to quickly and easily zoom in or pull back to whatever time/distance scale you want and just make one encounter check per hex traveled (or more if you want).

the battlemap, enemy and obstacle placement: there's a lot of die-rolling which might seem a little complicated (it does, even to me, a little) but it all takes place before combat begins. it's actually my lazy way of setting up random encounters without a lot of prose. however, for 'engineered' encounters, the numbers are still there for the author/GM to reference. i tried to arrange the enemy placement numbers so that the curve of 2d6 would throw most enemies toward the center of the map but still have a scattering effect. i feel like i need to move 4, 13, 15, and 5 down one hex and their counterparts up one hex so they become more relevant to the battle.

i have some 'counters' to be used for the 'obstacles'. not a complete set yet. i may throw what i currently have up tonight.

christmas break just started for me! woohoo!

[Deleted]

also, the battlemap is a bit small (number of hexes) but i have a 'house rule' reason for that.

trying to keep up with what actions i can do after moving X spaces gives me fits. i've adjusted movement and actions to compensate for my poor multi-tasking ability. it goes a little something like this:

MV = adjDX / 4

You can perform TWO actions per turn. Example actions are:
- Attack (only ONE attack per turn)
- Move (up to MV), stand up, stand still, or kneel
- Begin charging (move)
- Finish charging (attack)
- Cast a spell (only ONE spell per turn)
- discard an item in hand
- draw an item into hand
- Reload (draw an item into hand)
- Disbelieve/Resist a spell

Reactions forfeit 1 of those 2 actions.

[geordieracer]

I think the Pocket Lands idea could also be coupled with Chris' Archetypes idea for the origins/background of an adventuring party

PC comes from ...

2 Windspur Plains
3-4 The Ruined Hills
5-6 Windspur Forest
7-8 Town of Pisgah
10-11 Windspur Mountains
12 The Dead Plains

..with place of origin influences skills such as area knowledge, survival and non-human languages.

[mabon5127]

This is extremely cool!

[Deleted]

@geordie
possibly. whatever floats your boat. i don't really get that deep into my characters. my conception of the various areas:

Windspur Plains - plains at the foot of the Windspur Mountains; northern stretch frequented by wildlife and inhabitants from surrounding regions as a hunting ground and as a crossroads of travel.

Pisgah - town at the southern end of Windspur Plains and adjacent to the Windspur River. inhabitants mostly human (like 99%). engage in some trading with the dwarves of windspur mountains and the elves of Windspur Forest. trade with the dwarves is more frequent than trade with the elves.

Windspur Forest - northern stretch contains a hidden elven kingdom. elves are a bit xenophobic and isolationist. they don't like uninvited guests in their region of the forest and they do patrol it.

Ruined Hills - the hills are semi-arid and contain numerous ruins of a long lost civilization. gnolls live here (gnolls live in the knolls, ha ha!...or is that origin of the term?)

Dead Plains - cool, arid, and inhabited by the undead, not much lives here. a few ruins have been seen in this region but most avoid it. the prevailing theory is that the civilization that lived in the ruined hills had their fate sealed in a great battle on these plains. another theory is that there was once an active volcano in the southern regions of the windspur mountains. this theory is based on the large deposits of ash found here and in the ruined hills. dwarves discount this theory haughtily but proffer no explanation of their own. they simply aren't interested. the elves seem to know something but remain tight-lipped about it.

Windspur Mountains - inhabited by kobold and dwarves; both love to tunnel into the mountain for precious metals, stones, and habitats. dwarves smith, craft, and forge these resources into beautiful works of art and for utilitarian purposes. dwarves do some trading with the elves of forest but more with the humans of Pisgah.

^ this is all i would say about my original conception of the areas. there is more that would be revealed during adventures. what i have stated here would be common knowledge to inhabitants.

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2013 9:32:15 GMT -5 @ewookiereturns said:

@geordie
possibly. whatever floats your boat. i don't really get that deep into my characters.

i was thinking strictly of PCs when i wrote that. my starting PCs usually all have a similar, broad, unwritten, and flexible background. they were orphaned at an early age and grew up together in the care of various orphanages or kind souls. they bounced around a lot due to their proclivity for getting in trouble through mishap and misadventure.
this may seem lame but it's sort of personal, drawn from family history, and remarkably convenient!

NPCs, i have not made too many of those yet. i do favor a more precisely written and restrictive background for NPCs.