Blackmoor Perils

The adventuring party in my live D&D5E game on Alternate Tuesday nights will begin at 6:30 PST, beginning on 16 July. 22024, is currently under development. Marian - Trista (Fey Sorcerer) David - Tabaxi Swashbuckler Eric - Hill Dwarf Life-Domain Cleric Nicholas - Wood Elf Druid who tanks in Wildshape. Nicky R - Barbarian Lynette - Half-Elvin Sorcerer Until we know more, here is my favorite NPC! Snorri is a Skandaharain in exile, wandering through the lands and getting in trouble for various get-rich schemes. Shame nobody told him that Rich isn't playing anymore! Snorri Gundarchukson

Captain Weldron The Norther Watchtower was built at the border of Blackmoor territory, and acts as a waystation for travelers between Maus and Blackmoor.  The commander of the tower is a paladin named Captain Weldron, and he has a score of cavalry that he uses for patrols along the road. 

The Sage The Sages Watchtower was built by Blackmoor as an early-warning system for spotting Skandaharian raiders. The tower is run by a mage known only as "The Sage" and garrisoned by his sworn guard, curiously all of whom seem to be Halflings.  The Sage has a large arcane research library  that he sometimes lets people use. Especially people who bring him and his guards pipeweed. Halfling Guard

This area, located south of the Dragon Hills, was created during the Cataclysm, and is populated by creatures from the world's prehistory. Apex Predator

Gygax Dragonlord The Dragon Hills are a wide expanse of hills and the occasional mountain who are inhabited by the Red Dragon Gygaxathalgorax Dragonlord and his scions, many of whom have a plethora of kobold servants. The dragons are known to despoil caravans in the region, especially those containing ingots or finished metals from the Regent of the Mines. A Scion of Gygax

Unamit Ahzredit Temple of the Frog Enforcer The Temple of the Frog is located in the Barrier Swamp, and is comprised of several areas - the docks area, which has craftsmen and artisans, the Bullywug village area, home to a small army of the amphibious creatures, and the Temple area itself. Bullywug Soldier The Temple of the Frog was founded by Unamit Ahzredit, the high priest of Tsagoth, one of the Elder Gods from before the Ancient Empire.  Under his tenure, Bullywugs were recruited, and their clans now ruled by Shamans of Tsagoth. Tehy constantly raid caravans for slaves, which are sent to the Temple for sacrifice, fueling Unamit's growing force of hybrid enhanced enforcers. The bullywugs are fully aware that if the Temple runs out of captives, that they themselves might well find themselves in the altar. Peg-Leg Gonzo The docks are home to the religious human fanatics who operate as raiders and slavers for the Temple, their captives headed for the altar and the wealth to enhance...

Nomad of Ten warrior The Nomads of Ten were a people who inhabited the region near the Duchy of Ten, ad were displaced by the Wyricki. The nomads relocated to the ruins in the steppes to the south-west, taking the name of the Nomads of Ten. They established their new home next to the lair of Aristophenes, a sphinx who keeps the worst of the undead and cursed spirits from the Ancient Empire at bay. Aristophenes

Theregond When the Blackmoor forces drove the Wyricki from their homelands, they were pushed westward until they settled on the other side of the Barrier Swamp. It was perhaps ten years before the chaos coalesced around the archmage Theregond the Mage, who took the title as the Duke of the Ten tribes, head of the Duchy of Ten. Since then, the Duchy of Ten has become home to many peoples who have been disenfranchised - goblins who refused to bend the knee to the Egg of Coot, Skandaharians under exile, Blackmoor outlaws, etc.  Ironically when they settled the area, they in turn displaced horse nomads, who relocated to the ruins in the steppes to the south-west, taking the name of the Nomads of Ten. The Duchy of Ten is still the home to the Wyricki sect of Druids. The combined armies of the ten tribes are commanded by Valeria, the horse commander of the consolidated tribes.  Valeria

Sadaharu The Tower of Booh is a mage tower and supporting businesses which support it. The master of the Tower is a reclusive fellow named Sadaharu. Sadaharu and his garrison soldiers are from a distant land, although they speak Common.  Politically, the Tower of Booh, even though it is precisely in the center of the Duchy of Blackmoor, remains strictly neutral, although Sadaharu is wary of offending the Ducal sensibilities. There are unconfirmed rumors that he is sometimes visited by metallic colors.

Gislan the Rock Boggy Bottom was founded as a farming community to feed the Regent of the Mines. It was originally populated by halfling criminals with dwarven guards. The current mayor is Gislan the Rock, an Earth elemental mage, and the Captain of the Guard, Zurich Bladebreaker, The garrison are all heavy footmen armed with crossbows. Each of the towers has a ballista in case of dragon attack. Zurich Bladebreaker

Regent Dain III Dwarven miners found a rich mithril ore vein, and under Imperial law all mithril or adamantine ores are property of the Imperial Throne as a necessary strategic material. An expedition of dwarves with multiple clans came north and established the mines under the command of the appointed Regent Dain. The city began as an armed camp gradually became an inner city (dwarven citizens only), and an outer city for the dwarven craftsmen and artisans who supported the mines. The Regency has become a base of operations for freelance miners operating in the area. Mining claims are registered, and ores assayed. The Grand Empire later sent halfling criminals to the Regency, who used them to set up the agricultural center of Boggy Bottom, whose Lord Mayor and garrison are under the Regent's command. Gerrudir Dragonslayer Located close to the well-named Dragon Hills, the famed dwarven champion Gerrudir Dragonslayer came from the Grand Empire to command a special dragon defense for...

  Baron Glade The Barony of Glendower was originally a colony of halflings. They were conquered by the Wyricki, and became peasant farmers under Wyricki landholders. When the Blackmoorians came they freed the halfkings from peasantry and restored land ownership to the halflings. The current Baron is a paladin of half-elvin descent, who serves as the protector of the human and halfling citizens.  The Glendower garrison is made of primarily cavalry, but all citizens are called upon to practice with spear and shield, or in the case of the halflings, shortbow and daggers. The crops grown are shipped out all over Blackmoor, and merchants ship their pipeweed crop as far as the Grand Empire, but what the citizens of Glendower pride themselves upon is the variety and quality of their cheeses.

Baron Zareth the Freebooter Just as Glendower is the duchy's breadbasket, Vestfold is the duchy's shipbuilder. The first Baron was a freebooter and privateer; his own fleet of three ships destroyed several Skandaharian raids as the town was being built on the site of a poor Wyricki fishing village.  Now the nearby woods provide timber for seasoning, which is then made into the light galleys that form the backbone of the Blackmoor naval defenses.  The baronial line has a tradition of the scions being apprenticed as lowly seamen and work their way up to Captain status; the heir is chosen from able captains with naval experience.  The current baron, Zareth, was a freebooter with the Northern Sea Lords before taking up the mantle as both the reigning Baron and also the commander of the Blackmoor naval forces.

Baroness Diedre Bramwald was founded as a military base by Diedre's grandmother during the war against the elves. The native tribesmen had been dismissed by the elves as non-threatening but the Blackmooreans's supplied them with bastard swords, shields, and myriad armor. The Hidati respect strength, and the current Baroness has more than proved her worth; the Hidati adopted her as one of their own, and are glad they don't have to deal with politics - it interferes with drinking, gorging, and brawling. Hidati Spear-Thane Bramwald is the home to several mercenary bands, who find constant employment as guards on the Bramwald - Regency - Boggy Bottom - Lake Gloomy - Vestfold- Blackmoor routes. Weapons and armor abound, made from the finest dwarven craftsmen. Elvin arrows, alchemical healing, custom leather work - anything the professional mercenary might need.

High Lord Elengal Maus was built by the elves of the Wildwood; while they are somewhat isolationist in nature, they recognized early on that they would have to deal with humans; there are many vocations that do not call to the elves, such as mining, yet Elvin craftsmen can produce things such as armor, weapons, and jewelry without peer. Maus is their city, and those who have business with the elves may approach them in Maus, as they forbid trespassers in the Wildwood. Much of the population of Maus is composed of those with mixed human/elvin heritage, mostly Wyricki humans from before the coming of the Blackmoorians. There are elves staying in the city for their own purposes, and a variety of sylvan creatures from the Wildwood, such as Pixies, Dryads, satyrs, etc. There is a small contingent of Wyricki druids, who have sought refuge there. The ruler of the city is the High Lord, elected by the elves every century, and the current holder of the office was their warlord during the confli...

Egg of Coot Goblin Soldier The Egg of Coot is a mysterious power that has begun to dominate the goblin, orc, ogre, and giants in the lands surrounding it, and are building a fighting force of malevolence and evil. While few are allowed audience with "Magnificent and Awesome Presence", the leader of the Egg of Coot's armed forces is Chairman Nashkhund of O.R.C. (the Orcish Revolutionary Coalition). Once a barbarian, Chairman Nashkhund has proven himself to be a cunning and strategic leader, although he claims that all successful strategies come from the Egg of Coot directly.  Chairman Nashkhund O.R.C. consists of goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, orcs, ogres, and hill giants, all of whom have pledged their loyalty to the Egg of Coot and his viceroy, Chairman Nashkhund.   The Egg of Coot is in alliance with the Duchy of the Peakes, although predictably neither side trusts the other overmuch. Slavery flourishes in the Egg of Coot's domain, so much so that the Northern Sea L...

Blackmoor Soldier The capital of the Duchy of Blackmoor is ruled by Duke Theron Caledon, also known as Duke Theron Blackblade.  The Duke rules some lands directly, and others through the Barons of Vestfold, Bramwald, and Glendower. As an Imperial Duchy of the Grand Empire, theoretically Imperial law is the basis for its jurisprudence, but the Ducal seat is pretty much autonomous. The city itself is a bustling trade center, and is the major port for mercantile traffic to and from the Grand Empire. It is also the home of the Imperial Wizardry Academy, which does maintain a teleportation gate for emergencies. Duke Theron Caledon the Blackblade Duchy of Blackmoor

 There are several polities that exist, both on-the-map and beyond. Skandaharian Raider To the north of the campaign map are the Skandaharian Norse, who raid southwards with fierce rapacity, looting and burning. To the west of the campaign is the domain of the Northern Sea Lords, who are privateers, who raid eastward with fierce rapacity, looting and burning. To the south are the barbarian horse tribes of Peshwah, orc clans who raid northward with fierce rapacity, looting and burning. Also to the south is the Valley of the Ancients, which is the home to time-lost creatures, who do NOT raid.  To the far south is the Grand Empire, who rose to power after the great Cataclysm destroyed the Old Empire, rebuilding and recovering provinces that had fallen into anarchy.  Four human generations ago, the area now known as the Duchy of Blackmoor was inhabited by the ten tribes of humans called the Wyricki, who traded with the elves of the Wildwood at the village of Maus. A force fr...

 I have decided to revive and revise my old D&D Blackmoor campaign, which I started running back in Ye Olde Days (1977-ish) and which has run in various incarnations ever since (except for the long hiatus while my son aged from newborn to proto-teenager).  I have, through the ages, stolen ideas and materials from various places, starting with the Judges Guild product "The First Fantasy Campaign", which have me the wilderness map, and ideas. The SPI wargame Swords & Sorcery furnished more, plus fabulous artwork for inspiration. The less said about the Gamma World crossover, the better... The current incarnation - well, I am enjoying it. Hopefully my players will, too!