AdventUre Calendar 2024 has started!

It’s december 1st, so the AdventUre Calendar has started!

This year, I’m going to do things a bit differently. My 2024 has been remarkably creative, and I don’t have a lot of unfinished ideas laying around. So, I’m going to focus on making a full Block, Dodge, Parry starting adventure region, instead.

A few base rules:

I will use the guideline below, that I’ve prepared beforehand.
It is a guideline – if along the way I get completely other ideas, I’ll follow them. It’s an organic process. Who knows where I’ll end up!
I’ll try not to ‘get ahead’ – each day I’ll focus purely on what I have to write that day, in context of what I’ve written before.
I’ll blog about my progress each day, or close to it.

The Guideline

Village and Social (Days 1-9)

Day 1: Village Foundation

Core Themes & Keywords
General character of people living here
General ambition of people living here
Location: Climate, General Terrain
Village name

Day 2: Leadership and Commerce

Village leader, founding, history
Economy & Trade:
Which resources are mined and/or refined here
What is imported & exported, and by who
What is the abundance & scarcity

Day 3: Religious, Knowledge, Customs

History & Traditions
Local priest or wise person
Healers and mystics
Keepers of local lore
Festivals and ceremonies
Superstitions
Daily routines and practices

Day 4: Notable Factions

3 factions within the village
3 factions surrounding the village (wilderness, nearby settlements etc.). To be fleshed out on day 14.
Each faction is at odds with at least 2 other factions in some way
Each faction has
Advantage: assets that reflect a faction’s influence, material, wealth and other unique features.
Agendas: What they are trying to achieve.
Obstacles: Why they haven’t achieved their goal yet
See Faction Types, Faction Traits, Faction Advantages
Name a few Agents for each faction, to be fleshed out tomorrow.

Day 5: Notable Characters

Unique or eccentric villagers
Traveling merchants or regular visitors
Local heroes or troublemakers
Notable relations, tensions, secrets between these characters

Day 6: Village Layout

Detailed map
Key building descriptions
Points of interest within village

Day 7: Current Issues in the Village

Ongoing problems within the village
Political tensions between village factions & other settlements
Recent troubles in the wilderness

Day 8: Rumors and Secrets

Local legends
Hidden truths
False rumors that everyone believes

Day 9: Quest Hooks

Village-based quests
Connection points to wilderness
Potential adventure seeds

Wilderness (Days 10-14)

Day 10: Wilderness Overview

Geography and key features
Climate and general conditions
Notable landmarks & major nearby areas

Day 11: Environmental Challenges

Natural hazards
Weather patterns
Survival challenges
Ingredients for alchemy & meals

Day 12: Wilderness Inhabitants

Local wildlife
Monster populations
Intelligent beings

Day 13: Random Encounters

Encounter tables for notable areas
Time and weather tables

Day 14: Factions and Politics

Competing groups
Territory claims
Inter-faction relationships

Points of Interest (Days 15-17)

Day 15: Minor Locations (2-3)

Standing stones
Abandoned shelters
Natural phenomena

Day 16: Medium Locations (1-2)

Ruined watchtower
Ancient shrine
Bandit camp

Day 17: Major Location

Significant ruins
Complex natural feature
Detailed description and purpose

The Dungeon (Days 18-24)

Day 18: Dungeon Concept

History and purpose
Theme and atmosphere
Major factions present

Day 19: Dungeon Layout

Map of level 1
Key areas identified
Connection points

Day 20: Level 1 Details (Part 1)

Entrance area
First few chambers
Initial challenges

Day 21: Level 1 Details (Part 2)

Remaining chambers
Connecting areas
Environmental features

Day 22: Dungeon Denizens

Monster placement
NPC inhabitants
Faction territories

Day 23: Special Elements

Unique rooms
Major encounters
Puzzles and traps

Day 24: Treasures and Secrets

Major treasure placement
Hidden areas
Special rewards
Final mysteries