I'm stuck- spatially challenged DM - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

I'm stuck- spatially challenged DM

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
slivvy_gaidin
Jun 25, 2003 6:05:05 I'm new to the campaign setting, but I want to write an adventure in Ravenloft. I have the Ravenloft campaign setting book, so I have a map of Ravenloft, but, I don't know how big it is.

Someone please help me with an appropriate scale for the map in the front and back of the book, or give me guidance on how long it should take players to walk across the various domains.

Thanks
#2
hida_jiremi
Jun 25, 2003 7:50:50 There's never actually been an "official" view on how big Ravenloft is, but if you reference the novels they give some useful information. If I recall correctly, it takes just about a solid day (sunrise to sunset) to go from Skald to Harmonia (in the domain of Kartakass). From this, it can be extrapolated that Kartakass is roughly the size of Switzerland. From there, all the other size comparisons fall into place.

Hope that helps.

Hida Jiremi
#3
zombiegleemax
Jun 25, 2003 10:33:07 Yeah, they never really say how big, but from some of the maps it is pretty small. On a couple I saw Mordent was only about 12 miles across. I worked out dimensions for my RL game making each domain pretty large. Some dimensions off the top of my head: I made Mordent 130 miles end to end and 60 miles wide. Darkon I think was like 400 miles wide...I have the sheet at home and can post it tommorow morning if you would like, or E-mail me at [email]thekingaragorn@yahoo.com[/email] and I can get it to you that way as soon as I can.
#4
scipio
Jul 05, 2003 23:19:00 I believe that the unofficial "official" scale (the one that was suggested but is not truly set in stone) was that the map on the inside cover of the R3E book is 25 miles to the inch, making for a small core. However Ravenloft doesn't stay very static, it changes depending on the whims of the DP's. One journey that took a day before, could now take a week.
#5
zombiegleemax
Jul 07, 2003 17:55:04 Also, there are the mists. You can just move people around randomly with them. You don't want to do it too much.

Mordent shouldn't be too big. I gathered it was supposed to be smaller than the size of a county, which wouldn't be that big. It's only got a couple of towns in. 400 miles is an absurd size if you'll be travelling in anything short of a car, which they don't have. I always thought of Ravenloft as being mildly claustrophobic.
#6
john_w._mangrum
Jul 08, 2003 2:13:01 Really, the easiest way to look at it (assuming you want a scale approximate to the one used most of the time in second edition) is to assume that the towns on the main roads (those included in the big maps) are about a hard day's ride from each other. Going offroad is slower, of course.
#7
dm142
Jul 09, 2003 11:23:22 I agree with John W. Mangrum... In fact, being the cruel DM that I am, when I played RL in 2E, I always made my PCs ride hard to make it to a city before nightfall... before the city the watch shut the gates for the night... no one wanted to be left in the wild over night.
#8
slivvy_gaidin
Jul 11, 2003 5:58:34 YAY! Lots of replies.
Thanks for all the comments.
I particularly like the idea of making the towns a hard day's ride apart. Definitely sounds like a good way to induce fear into the PCs.

Cheers.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 slivvy_gaidin Jun 25, 2003 6:05:05	I'm new to the campaign setting, but I want to write an adventure in Ravenloft. I have the Ravenloft campaign setting book, so I have a map of Ravenloft, but, I don't know how big it is. Someone please help me with an appropriate scale for the map in the front and back of the book, or give me guidance on how long it should take players to walk across the various domains. Thanks
#2 hida_jiremi Jun 25, 2003 7:50:50	There's never actually been an "official" view on how big Ravenloft is, but if you reference the novels they give some useful information. If I recall correctly, it takes just about a solid day (sunrise to sunset) to go from Skald to Harmonia (in the domain of Kartakass). From this, it can be extrapolated that Kartakass is roughly the size of Switzerland. From there, all the other size comparisons fall into place. Hope that helps. Hida Jiremi
#3 zombiegleemax Jun 25, 2003 10:33:07	Yeah, they never really say how big, but from some of the maps it is pretty small. On a couple I saw Mordent was only about 12 miles across. I worked out dimensions for my RL game making each domain pretty large. Some dimensions off the top of my head: I made Mordent 130 miles end to end and 60 miles wide. Darkon I think was like 400 miles wide...I have the sheet at home and can post it tommorow morning if you would like, or E-mail me at [email]thekingaragorn@yahoo.com[/email] and I can get it to you that way as soon as I can.
#4 scipio Jul 05, 2003 23:19:00	I believe that the unofficial "official" scale (the one that was suggested but is not truly set in stone) was that the map on the inside cover of the R3E book is 25 miles to the inch, making for a small core. However Ravenloft doesn't stay very static, it changes depending on the whims of the DP's. One journey that took a day before, could now take a week.
#5 zombiegleemax Jul 07, 2003 17:55:04	Also, there are the mists. You can just move people around randomly with them. You don't want to do it too much. Mordent shouldn't be too big. I gathered it was supposed to be smaller than the size of a county, which wouldn't be that big. It's only got a couple of towns in. 400 miles is an absurd size if you'll be travelling in anything short of a car, which they don't have. I always thought of Ravenloft as being mildly claustrophobic.
#6 john_w._mangrum Jul 08, 2003 2:13:01	Really, the easiest way to look at it (assuming you want a scale approximate to the one used most of the time in second edition) is to assume that the towns on the main roads (those included in the big maps) are about a hard day's ride from each other. Going offroad is slower, of course.
#7 dm142 Jul 09, 2003 11:23:22	I agree with John W. Mangrum... In fact, being the cruel DM that I am, when I played RL in 2E, I always made my PCs ride hard to make it to a city before nightfall... before the city the watch shut the gates for the night... no one wanted to be left in the wild over night.
#8 slivvy_gaidin Jul 11, 2003 5:58:34	YAY! Lots of replies. Thanks for all the comments. I particularly like the idea of making the towns a hard day's ride apart. Definitely sounds like a good way to induce fear into the PCs. Cheers.