The Campaign Builder's Guild

Grimmian-Witcherian fantasy otherwise seems a perfect setup for hard moral choices and dilemmas - are you sure the "murder only" approach won't make it degenerate into something more crude and hack'n'slashy?
Of course, there is still the occasional investigation.

Playing the Guild up as a strange and mystical organization sounds great, but if this is designed for roleplaying, how will you get the players to follow these traditions?
What happens to Guild deserters or the handicapped and elderly? Some of them will probably become teachers or administrators, but some must obviously be incapable of carrying out such duties even if they wanted to. Can you buy your way out of Guild servitude? Some of those semi-kidnapped younglings must have a desire to get away from the hard life of monster hunting.   

Quote from: Superfluous Crow
Grimmian-Witcherian fantasy otherwise seems a perfect setup for hard moral choices and dilemmas - are you sure the "murder only" approach won't make it degenerate into something more crude and hack'n'slashy?
Of course, there is still the occasional investigation.

Hmmm, I suppose they could be hired to defend the town, but they can't do that forever and would most likely have to hunt down the source anyways. I just that the line drawn between monster-hunting and everything else is a good place to have it, as once the guild starts being hired to do other things - relic hunting, escort missions, etc. - it gets hard to differentiate the guild from common mercenaries.

I think that answers your question, if I understood what you meant by "murder only"

Quote from: Superfluous Crow
Playing the Guild up as a strange and mystical organization sounds great, but if this is designed for roleplaying, how will you get the players to follow these traditions?
What happens to Guild deserters or the handicapped and elderly? Some of them will probably become teachers or administrators, but some must obviously be incapable of carrying out such duties even if they wanted to. Can you buy your way out of Guild servitude? Some of those semi-kidnapped younglings must have a desire to get away from the hard life of monster hunting.    

Well hopefully the players will take heart to being part of a super-elite, mystical, monster-hunting guild.

As for the old - not that many adventurers make it to a very old age. Those that do teach, train, and run the guild to an extent. Those that become very old - feeble, senile - are respected and kept comfortable and alive through alchemy until they pass.

As for buying out or escaping from the guild, I can't see that happening often, if at all. Only orphans and children of a certain age - I may lower the maximum age - are accepted, so as to avoid such things. They are most likely indoctrinated during training and then must swear an oath to serve the guild upon punishment of death.

EDIT: I realize that having the players be part of a guild-cult with strict rules and purpose is, well, restricting. But considering players can be anything they want in nearly every other setting, I'm OK with putting limits on what they players can and can't do in Grindelrath. This is decidedly anti-kitchen sink.

Quote from: Señor Leetz
I realize that having the players be part of a guild-cult with strict rules and purpose is, well, restricting. But considering players can be anything they want in nearly every other setting, I'm OK with putting limits on what they players can and can't do in Grindelrath. This is decidedly anti-kitchen sink.

So long as you make this a clearly spelled out premise, it shouldn't be a problem. It's just like telling your players "let's play a game where you're gangsters in 1930s Chigago" or "let's play a game where you're pirates in the Spanish Main", or "let's play a game where you're the crew of a spaceship sent to explore this unknown planet". It's up to the GM to explain what the game is about, and up to the players to come up with characters that fit in (unless they're just given pregens to choose from) - and if they can't stand those restrictions then it might be better to just play something else.

Quote from: Ghostman

Quote from: Señor Leetz
I realize that having the players be part of a guild-cult with strict rules and purpose is, well, restricting. But considering players can be anything they want in nearly every other setting, I'm OK with putting limits on what they players can and can't do in Grindelrath. This is decidedly anti-kitchen sink.

So long as you make this a clearly spelled out premise, it shouldn't be a problem. It's just like telling your players "let's play a game where you're gangsters in 1930s Chigago" or "let's play a game where you're pirates in the Spanish Main", or "let's play a game where you're the crew of a spaceship sent to explore this unknown planet". It's up to the GM to explain what the game is about, and up to the players to come up with characters that fit in (unless they're just given pregens to choose from) - and if they can't stand those restrictions then it might be better to just play something else.

Ok cool, that's what I was thinking, thanks for the opinion!

[ic=The Guild Pact]The Law of Blades - Guildsmen shall not carry Arms nor Armor nor Magick outside of the Guildkeep without the Right of Writ.

The Law of Fee - The Requester of Writ shall pay the Fee. If the Guild fails to complete a Writ, the Fee is thus nullified.

The Law of Neutrality - The Guild shall not interfere in the Affairs of the Realms. The Realms shall not interfere in the Affairs of the Guild.

The Law of Guard - Guildsmen shall not attack Those under the Protection of the Realms. Those who Deny or Oppose the Powers of the Realms are excluded, as are Those who draw Weapons against the Guild.

The Law of Law - Those who break the Laws of the Guild Pact are Subject to Exile or Death.
[/ic]

Do you think that covers most of the loopholes with the Guild? Any I missed? (I'm sure there are)

>>The Law of Neutrality - The Guild shall not interfere in the Affairs of the Realms. The Realms shall not interfere in the Affairs of the Guild.

What happens when the interests overlap? Who defines the 'interests'? Is there an order of precedence in your laws?

I don't think there's a need to define these things too deeply, but I'm asking in case you want to go into that depth.

Quote from: Light Dragon
>>The Law of Neutrality - The Guild shall not interfere in the Affairs of the Realms. The Realms shall not interfere in the Affairs of the Guild.

What happens when the interests overlap? Who defines the 'interests'? Is there an order of precedence in your laws?

I don't think there's a need to define these things too deeply, but I'm asking in case you want to go into that depth.

Those are good questions, but, like you said, I don't think I'm going to go into that sort of depth. It's just the way things are and it is accepted. (However, a transgression of the pact would be a great plot hook.) Now that I have the Writs and the Guild Pact taken care of, where should I focus  next. I have lots of time this week - geography? More information on the Guild? A bestiary entry? Something I'm totally missing?

EDIT: I have had some good ideas for names, especially for places, so far: Ghendt, Strathen, Ryvenwood, Casse-Tyre for some examples

Here's one I always find entertaining:

Make a list of the top seven wonders of your setting.  Maybe you don't need a full seven, but describe, even briefly, a few of the jaw-dropping places or achievements in your setting.  They need not be domestic and from what you've said about Grindlerath, are probably foreign.  Perhaps you could do a Bard's view of these things as he'd present them to the locals?

Quote from: Humabout
Here's one I always find entertaining:

Make a list of the top seven wonders of your setting.  Maybe you don't need a full seven, but describe, even briefly, a few of the jaw-dropping places or achievements in your setting.  They need not be domestic and from what you've said about Grindlerath, are probably foreign.  Perhaps you could do a Bard's view of these things as he'd present them to the locals?

That's actually a great idea, and one I'm definitely going to do.

[ic=The "Seven Wonders" of Grindelrath]Casse-Tere : Perhaps the most important place for the players is Casse-Tere, the citadel-home of the Guild. Days from civilization, perched upon a great stone spire within the Vale of Whispers, deep in the Blackhorn mountains that run through the center of Grindelrath, the Casse-Tere - meaning lonely spire in the Old Tongue - sits ominously, a somber reminder of the glory days of heroes long past. A foreboding and spartan fortress of angular walls and stark, square towers, the Casse-Tere appears empty, and for the most part, it is.

In the golden era of adventurers, the Casse-Tere was a sacred neutral ground among heroes, somewhere where treasure could be traded, spells exchanged, and ideas shared. Its halls where lavishly decorated in the loot of successful quests, warmed and lit by great fires and rowdy with mead and songs of glory. But as that era died, and the Guild Pact born, the fortress became a cold and hollow shell of what it once was. Now its hall are mostly empty, vast corridors of echoes between the small, candle-lit rooms still inhabited the few Harbingers left.

The Fens of Mhire : A vast crescent of soggy, fog-plagued land on the western border of Grindelrath, the Fens of Mhire are notorious as the lair of Witches and Trolls and is the setting for many a folktale and myth regarding those creatures. There are no significant cities or towns in the Fens - as the are most commonly called - but there are a handful small settlements that survive on frog-hunting, mushrooms-collecting, and woodworking. People that live in the Fens are, not surprisingly, referred to as Fenfolk, and are seen as backwards and superstitious people. Within Grindelrath, they have resisted the influence of the Church more than most, but not entirely. As such, the Fens hold many secrets and tales that have long been forgotten, or purged, from the rest of the Realms. The Fens are also dotted with the submerged and slimy ruins of an ancient Elven kingdom from nearly a thousand years past said to hold treasures best left forgotten...  

The Ryvenwood : On the southern border of Grindelrath is the Ryvenwood, the epitome of a dark, brooding forest. While the borders have slowly shrunk to recent fire and iron of industry, but slowly, as the forest manages to strike fear into the hearts of even the stoutest of men and women. While the Ryvenwood is home to many legends, it is most famous for the Beasts of Were, a cursed and blood-thirsty race of men, bound with the blood and appetites of wolves.While most of these so-called "Werewolves" were nearly hunted to extinction during the Silvered Purge nearly a two centuries ago, a few managed to survive - those few being the strongest, the fastest, the oldest, and the most intelligent. In taverns and inns across Grindelrath, stories are frequently told of woodsmen gone missing, cattle and sheep brutally slain, and infernal howling during the full moon.  [/ic]

Nice write-ups!  I'm glad you like the idea.  My British lierature professor in college once spent a lecture discussing what we can learn about the society who wrote Beowulf based on the description of Heorat, which is certainly hailed as being a wonder of that world.  If nothing else, we know that the massive beam that supported the roof required a lot of manpower and cooperation to produce and set in place, and they probalby used soem sort of crane to get it up there, etc.  It was  fascinating class, but more on topic...

So what do your "seven wonders" imply about Grindlerath?  I probably should have mentioned that it helps if they are manmade wonders.  Still, what does Casse-Tere say about Grindlerath?

On a slightly different note, I love the description of Casse-Tere.  It really reminds me of the initial description of the house in "Fall of the House of Usher."

Hmm, once again, good point. I have a few ideas I want to get down today, so I'll just keep the list of the "Seven Wonders" very short.

1. Casse-Tere - The citadel-home of the Guild. Ancient, empty, and remote.
2. Helmut's Wall - The wall that marks the northern border of Grindelrath. Long neglected and unmanned, it nonetheless seems to keep out the pagans and heathens that make their home to the north in the realm of Norsund.
3. The Thrice-Blessed Fane - The headquarters of the Church in Grindelrath, it is a wild mix of architecture from three different periods. It is grand, Gothic, and grotesque, adorned with gargoyles and violent murals and reliefs.
4. The Field Stones - A rolling, fog-bound plain marked with close to a thousand black-stone cairns, covered in strange runes and what appear to be celestial charts.
5. The Tower of Harath - Built in the golden age of heroes by the slightly-mad wizard Harath of Ghent, the Tower was meant to be a great testing ground for adventurers of all manner. Few adventurers actually took Harath seriously. But over the years, legends and stories have grown of the treasures, and beasts, the green-black stoned Tower now holds.
6. The Catacombs - Located underneath the city of Neuren, the Catacombs are a remnant of one of the first human cities founded in Grindelrath. Many scholars believe that the city was built as a vast holy city for the dead for early heathen gods, which explains why the Catacombs are so massive.
7. The Forge - One of the only known remnants of the Dwarven kingdoms that ruled Grindelrath even before the Elves. Carved into the side of a mountain, the Forge is the base of many folktales and stories, almost all involving what is referred to as the "Lurker-in-Stone", a mythological creature of Dwarven legend that can move through stone as if it were air.

Quote from: Señor Leetz
2. Helmut's Wall - The wall that marks the northern border of Grindelrath. Long neglected and unmanned, it nonetheless seems to keep out the pagans and heathens that make their home to the north in the realm of Norsund.

This suggests that the wall is magical or at least being guarded/haunted by something other than men (angels? ghosts?), even if the fact might be unknown to/unacknowledged by people.

Quote from: Ghostman

Quote from: Señor Leetz
2. Helmut's Wall - The wall that marks the northern border of Grindelrath. Long neglected and unmanned, it nonetheless seems to keep out the pagans and heathens that make their home to the north in the realm of Norsund.

This suggests that the wall is magical or at least being guarded/haunted by something other than men (angels? ghosts?), even if the fact might be unknown to/unacknowledged by people.

Hah, well maybe, maybe not....

EDIT: somewhat of the cuff here, but for crunch, I'm looking at E6, with the following variants: Defensive Bonus, Damage Reduction Armor (Modified with reduced AC bonuses and material DR for creatures - silver, gold, copper, cold iron, wood), Vitality/Wound Points, Weapon Group Feats, Incantations, Metamagic Components, and maybe Sanity. I know it's a lot, but I think it all fits the setting.

[ic=Waiting in the Dark...]The inn was smokey and filled with the sickly sweet scent of too much ale. The din of drinking and gossip drifted through the thick air as weary-looking wenches moved with surprising agility through throngs of rowdy, mud-caked men. In a corner sat two men, one meek and drunk, the other coldly calm and obviously in charge of the conversation. The drunk man was small and dirty with a festering wound drawn across his face from just below his left eye to the bump in his throat. His clothes were common, a mismatch of browns and grays, and he no doubt smelled of swine and drink. The man opposite him was quite the opposite. His bearing was proud, but not noble, as if he knew that the blood in his veins was better than the common man without peasants and clergy telling him so. His face was lean and weathered, his blue eyes sharp and bright, and his skin marred with countless scars, large and small. He was missing the small finger on his left hand and his nose had obviously been broken many time. His chestnut hair was trimmed very short. If one looked closely, the pommel of a dagger peaked above his boots. Clad in well made leathers of black and a weathered but well-made cloak, he seemed the quite opposite of his companion.

"Tell me again, once more Louis." said the man in the leathers, pushing a fresh mug of ale towards the other man.

"I already told ye'." Louis replied, the ale starting to curb his meekness, replaced it with snide. "I was in the 'Combs, looking for somethin' to sell, 'tis hard times. Went in somewhere near the edge o' town, where the sewers dump into the river."

"Go on..."

"Well, I went down deeper than I norm' do, the upper 'Combs have been near picked cleans ye' see. So an' outta nowhere, this man, all skinny an' pale an' wailing, jumps outta the dark and claws at me face!" said Louis as he pointed to the putrid gash. "So I ran out as quick as I could."

"And then..."

"Well, I went home an' had the missus try to fix up me face, but it just wouldn't seem to clean and started to fester and smell real bad like. So I went to Old Mabeth, she be a midwife that lives down the road from me kip in the Narrows. Crazy ol' bad tells me I got bit by a ghoul!" Louis laughs and manages to dribble some ale down his chin, some running into his cut. "A ghoul she says! Sure, maybe two hundred years back a ghoul, but they be long. Everyone be knowin' that, plus the Church says so. Starts rantin' and ravin' how now I'm gonna be a ghoul, with me scratch and all that. Me, a ghoul, ha!" He manages on last chortle. "So I tell her to pike off, I walks out, makes me way home, and I find your letter waiting for me two days later. And here we be, good sir."

"As I thought." said the man in leathers as he pulled out a map of the city. "Now, one last thing before you get what you came for Louis. Could you be so kind as to mark where you entered the Catacombs?" asked the man as he pushed the map across the greasy table, the scars upon his hand seemingly dancing in the fires light. The noise and din of the inn seemed to increase during their talk.

"Was wonderin' when you were gonna get to that, that's why I came after all, I wanna get this damned wound healed, smellin' worse and worse by the hour." Louis, now clearly drunk, took the map, marked a crude X with small piece of charcoal, and pushed it back, leaving his hand open, looking half-sheepishly, half-wily at the man in leathers. The map disappeared in the other mans cloak remarkably quick, and small vial of milk-blue glass was placed in the drunks grimy hand.

"There is your price, Louis, drink it all at once and you will be cured." The man in leathers said as he began to stand up. "Now, if you have no questions, I believe we are done here. Be well, Louis." A cool, wet wind blew in the door as the man in leathers left the inn and it's noise.

Louis looked in his palm at the vial, thought for a short moment, and then poured the contents down his throat. He thought it tasted faintly of peppermint as the world quickly spun and then went black. His head thumped loudly against the table. They found him the next morning, dead as door nail, smelling faintly of peppermint.
 [/ic]

Sights, Smells, and Sounds - Heavy, dark, and solid, Nurren is a dour and depressing town. Located in the East, it is usually fog bound in the spring and fall, covered with rime and ice in the winter, and plagued by incessant rains in the summer. The architecture of Nurren has been heavily influenced by the ancient Catacombs that form the base of the city, and so seems "older" than other cities in Grindelrath. Absent are the towers and arches and glass-works that are most common in the realm, replaced by heavy stone work almost entirely in right angles. Its towers are strong but simple, it's walls thick and ugly. But despite the plainness of build, the city is full of strange reliefs and sculptures influenced by the old art in the Catacombs.

Being a river city, the smell of fish and water always fills the city, along with an omnipresent mist that stifles in the summer and freezes in the winter.

TBC.