Your Own Private Outremere

[alcyone]

I am curious about what sorts of things CKs are doing to flesh out New Aenochia/Outremere in their own games if they are set there.

What sort of scale are you using, is Aufstrag just down the road from Ludensheim? The characters came from somewhere, what sorts of hamlets/villages/manors do you have populating the area?

How present is the Empress or her proxies in day-to-day affairs? Are the knights in this gold rush as bad a problem as the monsters?

How far apart do you think these knights' houses should be before there is conflict?

The Codex of Erde had a roman numeral system for rarity of items. Are you using anything like that? What's the rarity of potions, scrolls, magic weapons/armor?

Or just any other ideas you have about this area my players will be living in for say, the next 20 years of real time at the rate I am going .

[Breakdaddy]

I never used the TLG setting stuff because I was gaming with the TLG guys at the time and they know the setting so well that I could never do it justice. Now that I'm not gaming with those cats on a regular basis, I may incorporate the whole Aihrde thing into my C&C gaming.

[Julian Grimm]

In my Erde ( Still refuse to use the new spelling) there are two major world differences that I am using that directly affect Outremere. (BTW you get 2 Julian points for using the better name for the area)

1) The Winter Dark happened something like 600-900 years ago.

2) The Cradle of the world is the area that is known. The maps beyond are best guesses.

So areas like the Marl are actually closer, to Outremere and Aufstrag is more a haunted waste. Outremere itself is more a frontier area that is trying to pull itself together. With the crusaders came less loyalty to the empire and there are states that were land grants that are breaking away.

That is where I was when I was using it. Sadly my Erde game died before I could get to far and I am more interested in using my own world these days.
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[TheMetal1]

Quote:
What sort of scale are you using, is Aufstrag just down the road from Ludensheim?

Having quite, gotten into the whole meat of where Aufstrag is. But I see it as quite a bit of travel north. I've hinted at it but and use the timeline of about 90 to 150 years since it all went down. In game and out of game players are not really too familiar with it, so I'm just kind of winging it. I started out trying to pinpoint everything in the codex and then just said, I'll deal with things as they crop up.

Quote:
The characters came from somewhere, what sorts of hamlets/villages/manors do you have populating the area?

Right now, one is a fighter that used to be a men-at-arms in a minor fiefdom in the outlying lands of Zagyg.

Quote:
How present is the Empress or her proxies in day-to-day affairs? Are the knights in this gold rush as bad a problem as the monsters?

Not to much, I have some intrigue in there as a plot hook if the players bite that would see more involvement with politics. Right now they're just starting out and got the butts whooped exploring north of the River and then heading east toward Blacktooth Ridge. Barely survived multiple Gobbo patrols and an encounter with a Troll. Some of the NPCs were with them, and one will likely never recover.

Quote:
How far apart do you think these knights' houses should be before there is conflict?

I think it might be fun to have one castle or manor built right across a river or stream from another. Perhaps the background was they were the best of friends. They still could be now, or perhaps they are now the descendents and just don't like each other. Both have plans of incorporating the others house into a grand manor. Other than than that 20 to 50 miles.

Quote:
The Codex of Erde had a roman numeral system for rarity of items. Are you using anything like that? What's the rarity of potions, scrolls, magic weapons/armor?

I go by the size of the town, everything will be relatively rare. I'm just not monty hauling it.

Quote:
Or just any other ideas you have about this area my players will be living in for say, the next 20 years of real time at the rate I am going .

Let them build it. Think of Erde as a guide, but it's your sandbox and wing it as you need.
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R is among the most menacing of sounds. Thats why they call it murder, not muckduck. DWIGHT SHRUTE, The Office

[Rigon]

If I were running an Aihde campaign, I would set it in Kayomar or there abouts.

R-
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[Kos]

I have not brought the players much further than Ludenshime so far so I'm winging it on scale. I generally only specify days of travel, and the difference between 'as the crow flies' and actual ground path gives you some wiggle room. Not looking at the map I would say Aufstrag lies a good months travel on foot from Ludensheim in my campaign (at least).

As for population centres I have small hamlets and manors spread about the area. The knight NPC from the inn at Botkinburg (Uther, I believe) became a major ally of my PCs after they promised to aid him in reclaiming his manor, so naturally he had to actually have a manor somewhere.

I tend to fly by the seat of my pants for travel, recording as I go along so trips are consistant. I quite like the scale free nature of Aridhe maps for this reason.

[Treebore]

Aergraith wrote:
I am curious about what sorts of things CKs are doing to flesh out New Aenochia/Outremere in their own games if they are set there.

What sort of scale are you using, is Aufstrag just down the road from Ludensheim? The characters came from somewhere, what sorts of hamlets/villages/manors do you have populating the area?

How present is the Empress or her proxies in day-to-day affairs? Are the knights in this gold rush as bad a problem as the monsters?

How far apart do you think these knights' houses should be before there is conflict?

The Codex of Erde had a roman numeral system for rarity of items. Are you using anything like that? What's the rarity of potions, scrolls, magic weapons/armor?

Or just any other ideas you have about this area my players will be living in for say, the next 20 years of real time at the rate I am going .

In general I try to use 1 inch = 100 miles, but that also depends on which map I am using. Like in the D20 Codex map I use 1 inch = 1,000 miles. Most of the time I find myself just going with what looks and sounds good.

Where is Aufstrag? North of Ludensheim, and a little to the West, about 700 miles.

The Empress? She is very involved in staying alive. Several of the 5 major nobles don't like having an Empress. Fortunately, in my game, she had a group of heroes, new nobility, come along and help clean up that mess and stabilize things, so the Empress should be able to do things more effectively on a national level now.

Some of the Knights are worse than the monsters in the gold rush.

I have knights/nobility be at least 20 miles apart, in some cases 100 miles. This by no means prevents conflict, that depends on how expansionist they are, and if they have the resources to risk expansion. Which most of them don't, which is what makes the gold rush, and some other events in my campaign, so ugly.

Magical Item rarity? That depends on where they are looking.

Generally I roll 1d100, and if its in a major center of population and trade, I'll give about a 25% chance of finding third level and lower items, such as scrolls, potions, and low powered items. +1 items, like swords and Armor, I start at 10% with, because in C&C they still require at least a 9th level Wizard or 12th level Cleric/Druid to be made.

I don't follow that rule for Scrolls, if you can scribe it into a spell or prayer book, you can make a scroll.

As for potions, you have to be 2 levels above the level needed to cast the spell infused into the potion to make it. So for first level spell potions, you have to be third level to make it, second means your 5th, for third you must be 7th, after that you just have to be able to cast it, since 9th level opens the doors to item creation. I give Clerics this same freedom, despite them having to wait until 12th level.

So I use all of these factors to decide what kind of percentage chance I want to give them on a d100. For items I really do not want them to have I give no chance at all, or require them to roll 01.
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[Arazmus]

I've got Outremere as the last big city in the West, beyond that I stuck the town of Malforten as the frontier town, then I have recently gifted the PCs with land beyond that as the New Frontier...I insterted some mountains a couple weeks travel beyond that and slapped The Burning Lands of Al Qadim betwixt the mountain range and the West Coast.

Winter Dark is about 75 years ago so there are some who still remember and the last remnants of that evil reign are just about completely stamped out (of course there are still a few adherents here and there).

Aufstrag and the East is a shattered Empire with lots of petty rulers the West is more organized and has actually banded together under a new King. Avignon is a neutral see run by the Clericy of the Lords of Light (good gods).

The gods are more removed from Airhde than in the past after seeing the devastation wrought by Unklar so avatars are less common. People honor all the gods and clerics divide themselves by Moral Alignment (Good, Neutral, Evil) and represent the Lords of Light, the Twilight Lords, and the Night Lords respectively. Individual gods are prayed to for specific needs.

The elves underwent a genocide under Unklar and are just now re-emerging from their hiding places. This held true even for the Drow. Unklar just hates pointy ears I guess.

And that's about it.
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I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. ~Zorg

[DangerDwarf]

I'm working at converting Paizo's Kingmaker AP to C&C and setting it in the western region of Outremere's Northern Marches. I haven't gotten too in depth with it yet, but look forward to literally carving out our own section, bringing the Crusade to Castles & Crusades.

[Arazmus]

DangerDwarf wrote:
I'm working at converting Paizo's Kingmaker AP to C&C and setting it in the western region of Outremere's Northern Marches. I haven't gotten too in depth with it yet, but look forward to literally carving out our own section, bringing the Crusade to Castles & Crusades.

Vas is das Kingmaker?
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I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. ~Zorg

[DangerDwarf]

An adventure Path for Paizo's Pathfinder game.

Its a sandbox concept AP that puts the party exploring the wilderness and carving out their own kingdom. I've only really looked at the first to installments of it so far and it seems pretty solid. Looking at converting it to C&C for usage.

[Arazmus]

cool, where can one obtain it? How much?
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I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. ~Zorg

[Omote]

The Kingmaker adventure path can be obtained at your FLGS, or through online retailers for the cost of about $20 each. Paizo offers a Kingmaker Primer thingy for free on their website.

~O
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Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Arazmus]

Thanks old bean.
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I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. ~Zorg

[Rhuvein]

Yes, the Empress Pryzmira is a major player in my World of Aihrde as is Aristobulus, the Arch-mage Zagyg and the town of Yggsburgh . . . among others.

The Empress is trying to consolidate her power by using Count Rhuvein as an emissary to the powers that be in Yggsburgh - hoping to get them to join with the other cities that support her in New Aenochia (Outremere).

With the coming of the 2nd storm (another possible Winter's Dark) by the forces of The Horned One and his minions . . many cities and their leaders are pulling together and sharing resources and info.

I have set special Aihrdian relics and items from the Codex to be found in CZ/UWs that will aid my adventuring party for their futures excursions to Aufstrag and others.

[I'll have to find some threads and posts that I have made with loads more info on this and post them when I get the chance]

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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

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[Rhuvein]

Arazmus wrote:
I've got Outremere as the last big city in the West,

Outremere is not a city, but a area to the far east (on the original Erde map) which includes the cities/locations of the A series modules (and others that they have done). In the recently - new folio, the Trolls call it New Aenochia.

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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

[alcyone]

Rhuvein wrote:
[I'll have to find some threads and posts that I have made with loads more info on this and post them when I get the chance]

That would be highly awesome.
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Sir Aergraith Aethelmar of Cyrswud, CaCS,OotF

[gwb83]

I know this is an old thread, but since I'm finally getting ready to launch into the Umbrage Saga, it seemed like an appropriate place to share some Outremere ideas:

Dundador – This is probably the most established state in Outremere, boasting the greatest stronghold in the land. Castle Dundador is a massive walled complex which is a city unto itself, serving as the hub of defense, trade, and law. It has been the seat of the ruling Dundador family for three generations. Aside from the city-stronghold, the rest of the state consists of wide-spread coastal farmland and fishing hamlets. The Duchess of Dundador, Lady Milwen, is the current ruler having filled the void left by her husband’s sudden passing in 1095, which is also a matter of suspicion. Barachian spies are often unofficially blamed.

Castle Dundador, is home to one of the greatest knight units in Outremere - the Order of Iergild. In all of Erde, Iergild is the purest, strongest form of precious metals in existance (gold, silver, and steel); remnants of the days of creation and the All-Father himself. The Iergild Knights value Durendale most among the pantheon with due respect to Corthain and the lesser gods St Luther and Glorianna. However, Lady Milwen is partial to Glorianna and has recently established her own company of female knights – The Shield Maidens of Glorianna - to uphold the law and defend Dundador alongside the Order of Iergild.

Dundador has a decent relationship with Kourland to the north with whom they trade for lumber. Some believe that Dundador actually has made Kourland a puppet government and that Dundador influenced the coup that toppled the less friendly regime of Westliche in 1086.


Barachia – Separated from Dundador and Kourland by the Ans River, Barachia is small, but more densely populated. All things stem from the Port City of Barachia with an economy based heavily sea trade, coastal goods, and a long history of piracy.

Duke Erdryk is the current head-of-state having been appointed to the post after the former duke stepped-down. Erdryk rose to prominence as a merchant, leveraging his connections in the criminal underworld.


Aesperdi – Like most states, it takes its name from the chief city. The City of Aesperdi thrives based on a diverse economy and a variety of resources. It is a river city with access to both the Hruesen and Drunderry. The confluence of those two waterways provides a major supply route to the Crown City of Ascalon. Navigable rivers also extend Aesperdi’s economic footprint into Heimstadt to the west and toward the mountains of Meteira – which some still called the Thuringia Range. The Elmast Forest is also a primary resource.

As the head of state, Duke Huw Bengrisse may have the most enviable position in Outremere. His region is thriving, while political threats and in-fighting are reduced by the shadow of the Empress who also resides in his state. Bengrisse’s biggest concern is keeping trade routes secured from encroaching threats from the north.

The City of Ascalon is only about a third of the population of the City of Aesperdi, but Ascalon boasts a more prominent upper-class and lower class. And it is majestic, with high walls and the towering spires of the Imperial Castle dominating the shoreline perched atop the seaside cliffs. Lower Ascalon slopes down to the Hruesen River where it spills into the sea. Overall it is an affluent city that imports most of its general goods via the sea and river ports, but it is a key market for gem and jewelry trade.

The Imperial Guard, or High Guard of Ascalon is a hand-picked company of the finest knights in all of the states. They are the elite unit of the imperial army. Members of the High Guard are sworn to the defense of the crown, but they must also declare faith in Toth, the elder deity upheld by Pryzmira herself.

Heimstadt – This city-state is fervently religious and is mostly controlled by the Temple of Demeter. Bishop Geonnyn Hadrock is the central figure for both church and state, setting a tone of common-man work values and austere lifestyle. Much to the chagrin of the Empress, altars and temples of Demeter abound in the city and its environs. Pryzmira often uses the foreign name – Ore-Tsar – in reference to the emerging deity, however she recognizes the appeal of this god to the commoners of her land.

Economically, Heimstadt is centrally-positioned and it capitalizes on trade with all of its neighbors, Kourland, Barachia, and Aesperdi. The furniture artisans and horse breeders are considered the finest in all of Outremere.

[alcyone]

Most excellent; I love this stuff.

[gwb83]

Thanks Aergraith! I noticed this thread is over a year old, did you get a campaign started in this region of Erde? If so, how did it go? How did you customize Outremere to suit your game?

I've been slowly collecting C&C stuff for over 2 years, but this will be my first go at actually running the game, which explains why I've been lurking and not posting here. I feel quite comfortable with C&C though, having DM'd 1st through 3rd edition D&D.

[Rollinwolf]

So I am about to launch my A series campaign, for a group of all first time players. I am running using the 5E D&D ruleset for the most part. I started playing back in the early 80's as a kid with my best friend who's dad gave him the red box and keep on the borderland at the begging of Christmas break. It has been quite some time since I've dm'ed for a complete group of new players, and I gotta say I'm pretty hyped. I grabbed the Codex of Aihrde recently to prep for the campaign. I was curious if there is a gazetteer style book out there on New Aenoch/Outrimire ? I am starting off with A 0 and working up Hrueset as the last Hub of the northern frontier until you get to Ludensheim. It is the County Seat of Vicount Shawn O'Cree. I want to have that bastion of the Crusader States feel, with the potential for my party to become involved in political shenanigans should they decide they want to get into the business of titles, warfare and what it means to hold what you have on the frontier of the Empire. I am enjoying that old school vibe of the modules. I got a deal on humble bundle as PDFs that included the A series as part of it. When my friend's grown son asked if I would run a game for him, his wife and the couple that are really good friends, and maybe a fifth. I have a great Sandbox with the making of a epic campaign they can run around in. I am so hyped!

[dachda]

Hi, welcome to Aihrde! I've been running my players through the Darkenfold forest adventures, with some of my own thrown in. To the best of my knowledge, and I've been buying Troll material since 2005, there is no expansion for Aenoch. That area has the most adventures, the A series though. You may have to go through them with a fine tooth comb to pluck out some of the gazetteer type info you are looking for. There are gazetteer type book, the Trolls call Expansions, for the Darkenfold forest, the Valleys of Kayomar (just north of Darkenfold), the Gottland Ne, (just north of Kayomar). There is also one called The Environs of Aufstrag, which is connected with the latter stages of the A Series.

[Lurker]

Rollin
Welcome to the thread, and to TLG !

As Dacha said, there is no official gazetteer type book for the area, but you can peace it together out of the modules

Now that you mention it though, I DO like the idea of one …. Trolls, do you hear this … something to add to the wish list !

[Julian Grimm]

Rollin
Welcome to the thread, and to TLG !

As Dacha said, there is no official gazetteer type book for the area, but you can peace it together out of the modules

Now that you mention it though, I DO like the idea of one …. Trolls, do you hear this … something to add to the wish list !

I'm going to second this. In fact I think there have been many of us pushing for one for some time. Anyone want to start a Change.org petition?


In all seriousness I have been drawing ideas from the Grand Duchy of Karameikos as it has similar themes to it and even have transported some map sites over. It works well enough.

All that said...

My personal Outremere exists in two states: New Aenoch Proper and the Crusader States or Outremere. The Crusader States are basically petty frontier holdings in the northern part of the kingdom but they are starting to organize and a few are considering breaking away due to lack of support from the throne and a desire for autonomy from the empire. The recent death of Empress Pryzmira has left a question of ascension and with the possible breaking away of certain states her daughter is left trying to form a government that is quickly fragmenting.

Outremere is definitely a frontier setting. Settlers have started moving in and with the crusades stalled many of the armies are either being disbanded or have moved to guarding trade routes and major settlements. Adventurers are moving in but are less concerned with land and carving domains and more concerned with treasure seeking.

As well, in the wake of the fall of Aufstrag new cults and petty warlords are rising and have been causing issues. With no real military to keep them in check; the time is becoming ripe for them to attack. New cults are being founded and some cults that existed on the fringes of the empire are achieving more power.

I've made places for classic D&D and AD&D adventures on the map and everything outside of the New Aenoch map is pretty much open to changes by me. I have also made the timeline a bit more vague as the one thing about Aihrde I never liked was that the history and timeline butts up too close to the campaign opening and it feels to me that the overall history is a bit intrusive. I have been trying to lighten it up but if I can't seem to I will just yoink the region for a patchwork world that I use from time to time.