While I’ve sent Block, Dodge, Parry v2 off to an editor (which wasn’t planned initially, but gosh, am I happy I did it), I’m working on an example adventure region to release along/right after v2, to show how it can all come together.
To be clear, this is a sudden idea, and might just as suddenly end on the backburner, but it’s a nice change of pace.
While working on this, I remembered sachagoat‘s landmark (ha!) blog series Re-inventing the Wilderness. The first post (and link to the whole series) can be found here.
As I started scribbling and conceptualizing, I noticed I got more and more enthused by just how neat this way of working feels.
Block, Dodge, Parry has a focus on natural language; if the Warden describes an NPC as “looking quite capable, a veteran of quite a few scraps”, the players can infer something about that NPC mechanically (likely to have 7-12 HP).
I think what I like about this method, is the way it feels like a cartographical equivalent to that method. To illustrate, this is the current version of my regional map:
Assuming one starts in the village in the south, there is line of sight to the jagged peak in the north; villagers will tell the adventurers that the Jagged Peak is right next to the Forlorn Pass, which is the easiest way to cross the Speartip Mountains.
Alternatively, the villages might tell of Mirror Lake in the east; if one travels to its shores and then follows its shores towards the north, you first come across a cold stream which flows from a mighty waterfall, and should you cross that and follow the shore further, a river which flows from a nearby mountainous valley, in which it is said an ancient temple lays hidden.
Continuing from the Forlorn Pass, the uphill climb towards an elevated plateau reveals the Great Forest beyond. The tip of the Old Tower is visible from the pass, and traveling to the tower and climbing upwards reveals further points of interest.
Alternatively, the forest’s edge is also a viable path. After traversing the Forlorn Pass, follow the treeline east, until you come upon a river flowing south. Follow that river north to find the Ranger’s Camp (the smoke plumes rising from here can also be seen from the Old Tower). Some in the Ranger’s Camp know of the old crone who lives nearby, her hut at the end of an old trail at the other side of the river.
Others in the camp know of a forgotten mine, far up the stream of the river. Yet others have heard of the Ruined Keep, said to lay north of the Bloodswamp. To get there, one would travel to the Old Tower, visible from the Ranger’s Camp on clear days, and from there, spot the ruins of the village Oakston in the northwest. From there, follow the river next to it downstream, into the Bloodswamp, until the confluence, and then follow the other river upstream… et cetera.
This post isn’t really going anywhere; it’s just about how neat it is to use Points of Interests, Line of Sight and Natural Borders (such as treelines, rivers, mountain ranges) as navigational tools in the wild.
One can follow natural borders and avoid getting lost, but often these are not very direct routes. On the other hand, following line of sight might mean that your goal isn’t visible the entire time. Traveling from the Old Tower to the Ruins would mean making a note of the rough direction, climbing down the tower, and just heading off – and probably make rolls along the way to prevent getting lost. Perhaps it’d be interesting to only make such roles after obstacles or encounters – things that distract from the perfect line to target.
That’s all for now, I’ll keep tinkering. More soon!