The Campaign Builder's Guild

Here's am updated version of InnerSOL, hope you guys like it.  [spoiler] [/spoiler]

That is awesome, wish you had colonies on the moons of the outer planets (io, europa, ganymede, callisto, titan, etc)

Looks nice. I laughed when I saw "O'Neil" and "Shepard". I might have to swing in and give the setting a proper look sometime.

Very clean and well-labeled. I like it - did you use a stock space background or generate it?

Quote from: NomadicThat is awesome, wish you had colonies on the moons of the outer planets (io, europa, ganymede, callisto, titan, etc)

I've been toying around with a reboot of the setting, which would include the moons of Jupiter. From what I understand, Io is basically unusable due to the radiation Jupiter pumps out. I have ideas for Europa and Callisto, I'm not sure what to do with Ganymede since it has radiation problems and no way to protect humans beyond going below the surface, which is much more viable on Callisto (comparatively low radiation) and Europa (lots of water). I also have plans for Jupiter's Lagrange Points 3, 4 and 5.

All of the major powers want control of Jupiter's vast resources but none can come to a definitive compromise that satisfies all parties. Thus no power can truly stake any claim for fear of sparking another system-wide war. Beyond politics, the sheer distance of Jupiter from the inner-solar system would present its own set of challenges. Everything within the inner-Solar System (excluding the Asteroid belt) is, at maximum, just 2.5 AU from one another, which when you factor in how quickly (comparatively speaking) the inner planets orbit, you can get from Mars to the Earth, even when they're on opposite sides of the sun, fairly quickly. Even the median distance from the sun to the asteroid belt is only 2.8 AU. Jupiter, on the other hand, is sitting at a whopping 5.2 AU. If Jupiter and Mars were on opposite sides of the sun, then the distance between them would be 6.7 AU! Given how slowly Jupiter orbits (once every 11 years), it makes travel to and from the planet quite difficult (requiring a lot of forethought and calculations). Thus the Jovian system would have a fairly "wild west" feel as it would be left to daring individuals and powerful corporations to found colonies and tap the resources there-in, thus giving it a VERY different feel from the more government-controlled colonization that occurred within the inner-solar system.

Quote from: Ninja D!Looks nice. I laughed when I saw "O'Neil" and "Shepard". I might have to swing in and give the setting a proper look sometime.

Hehe.

Quote from: JaercVery clean and well-labeled. I like it - did you use a stock space background or generate it?

Thank you. Yes, I did use a stock photo (that I found on Wikipedia). The same goes for the pictures of the planets :)

If you can colonize the moon or mercury you can colonize Io and Ganymede. Both moons could be colonized via shielded underground bases like NASA has talked about for years. In fact the bigger concern with Io would be hardening your base against Ioquakes (probably in a similar fashion to earthquake hardening via springs and hydraulic struts and such).

make the outer system like firefly?

Quote from: NomadicIf you can colonize the moon or mercury you can colonize Io and Ganymede. Both moons could be colonized via shielded underground bases like NASA has talked about for years. In fact the bigger concern with Io would be hardening your base against Ioquakes (probably in a similar fashion to earthquake hardening via springs and hydraulic struts and such).

Very good points. I guess I was just resistant to IO because it seems like such a hostile environment compared to the other 3 Jovian moons. :)

Quote from: Kaptn'Lathmake the outer system like firefly?

I hadn't really thought of it that way. My intent was to give the outer system a fairly different feel but, yes, in effect it would be a lot like Fire fly (just with less places to go).

primarily ment the feeling of being "alone out there. Make it so only smaller ships can go farther from sun? Large ships cant get through the asteriod belt safely? Massages through the belt like mountain passes, gaurded and fought over?

Quote from: Kaptn'Lathprimarily ment the feeling of being "alone out there. Make it so only smaller ships can go farther from sun? Large ships cant get through the asteriod belt safely? Massages through the belt like mountain passes, gaurded and fought over?

A ship would have to be really big to not get through the asteroid belt as the average distance between asteroids out there is on the scale of hundreds of thousands to millions of miles apart. It's actually harder to find an asteroid than avoid it in the belt. Also space is 3d, can't go through the belt? Just go around it.

So, over the weekend, I decided to blow off writing a paper and instead draw a map. I just started drawing and eventually the scribbles coalesced into a (rough draft of a) new map for a fairly old campaign setting of mine - Seladona.

For those that don't know, Seladona is a small piece of land trapped at the eye of a raging sand storm, which has persisted for centuries. The gods took pity upon the people of Seladona, and so sent a Magical Banner, called an Oriflame, to the King of Bokizmar. The banner allowed the King to provide enough food and water in quantities that could feed the masses. When that King perished, the banner was split amongst his 7 children, each of whom used their piece's magical properties to levitate a castle, thus creating what the people of Seladona call Alcazars. These floating castles slowly plod their way across the desolate landscape, traveling from one settlement to the next demanding tribute and slaves. Each Alcazar is completely independent from the others - alliances, war, betrayal, raiding - are all common facets of Alcazarian politics.

At any rate, here's the [spoiler=MAP] [/spoiler]

Now that setting sounds badass. Reminds me of Dark Sun. F'n metal. Nice map, too.

My entry into the One Page Dungeon Contest 2011. Each year this contest calls for a one page dungeon (any adventure site really), but requires the whole dungeon, a grid for scale, a key that includes a title, a list of all monsters and traps (no mechanics), your name, and a link to CC license - there are lots of prizes (lots), more prizes than participants so far...

Here is my entry, inspired by my Kaidan setting, I call the Emperor's Playground. The boy-emperor of Kaidan received on his birthday a dungeon featuring all his favorite activities and things to see, as a gift from his grandfather, the Shogun of Kaidan. (Of course both are undead, not mentioned on the map...)

For extra detail I included tiny inset illustrations of the special encounters in each chamber.

Guests are invited for a royal visit, but when they arrive are told the emperor was called away on duties, but to stay in the imperial guest house for the evening. When they fall asleep they are instantly teleported to an identical guest house at the start of the dungeon - as an entertainment for the emperor and the entire court. Should the party survive the dungeon they aer showered with gifts by the court.

Of course, hand-drawn, digitally scanned and imported and finished in Xara Xtreme Pro 4.

Here's a thumbnail:

 

Link to larger file:

 Emperor's Playground Map full scale

GP

Looks like a fun Dungeon! I wouldn't mind playing through it :)

Thanks, EE!

I think of it as a microcosm of Kaidan, much of what best depicts this cursed land fits in 10 chambers of the Emperor's Playground. Without traps or treasures, its an entertainment studio watched by the court through divining devices - almost like a sporting event TV show. Those who survive gain appropriate prizes, so its a win for the entertainers and the entertained.

I wouldn't mind runnning it myself.