The Wilderlands

Welcome to the Wilderlands!

  Whether you are a veteran Judges Guild fan or a new player just now discovering the Wilderlands, this Guide provides you with everything you need to begin a campaign in the Wilderlands and is your introduction to the 'modified' classic Judges Guild epic fantasy setting.   This guide serves as an overview of the Wilderlands, providing highlights of its key features. As a DM - or "Judge," as we call them - you should flesh out the bones given here with your own ideas, creating a setting that is uniquely your own.   We invite you to use this guide as a springboard for adventure in the City State and the Wilderlands!   The Wilderlands Setting   The Wilderlands setting details an area slightly smaller than the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding lands. Unlike many current published settings where everything has been discovered and most of the world is known, the Wilderlands are largely unexplored and overland travel is dangerous. There are few "nations." Instead, the lands are dominated by "city states," principle among them being the City State of the Invincible Overlord and Viridistan, the City of Spices - also known as the City State of the World Emperor. The City State of the Invincible Overlord so dominates the Wilderlands, that many campaigns run in this setting are often called City State Campaigns.   Though the civilization of the Wilderlands centers mostly on the largest city states: Viridistan, the City State of the Invincible Overlord, Tarantis, Valon, Rallu and Tula, these locations are small in comparison to the vast forests, expansive plains, open seas, trackless deserts, imposing mountains, and wild rivers. The light of civilization in the Wilderlands is a dim spark against the dark wilds.   The Wilderlands is a setting in decline. Long ago empires covered the region. But great wars, with the gods themselves fighting alongside men, has reduced the splendor of those past civilizations, leaving them in ruins. The most recent such war was the War of the Pious and Philosophers, pitting the followers of magic against the followers of science. That war was some 6000 years ago (though that date is disputed). Cities that do exist today are generally built on the sites of ancient cities, some among the ruins themselves. Broken roads, crumbled walls, sunken buildings, and half-ruined towers dot the landscape, a constant reminder of the faded past.   Life in the Wilderlands can be summed up for the average commoner as follows: Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. The average life expectancy is twenty years unless one lives in a walled city or town such as the City State, Viridistan, Thunderhold, Modron, Warwik or other large cities, in which it is only a little higher. Almost all Human families produce at least ten children, of whom two or three may live long enough to have children of their own. In the wilderness villages, wandering monsters and the raids of nomads, brigands and various humanoid species which are inherently evil are the bane of many. Rampant, unchecked disease is common to both walled cities and wilderness villages; so is infant mortality. The dangers of wandering monsters are lessened in a walled city or town, but the concentration of people in a small area leads to a high crime rate and poor sanitation; therefore, instead of being slain by a marauding dragon, a city dweller may have his throat slit for the contents of his purse. Few men manage to live past the ripe old age of thirty-five, and the fact that a man is fifty or sixty years old indicates great wisdom on his part (or an incredible run of luck).   Welcome to the Wilderlands, where life is cheap, travel is dangerous, and a strong sword arm is worth more than a purse full of gold!   WHAT THIS GUIDE CONTAINS   This Guide is crucial to running a campaign in the Wilderlands for both players and Judges. It contains overview material on the history of the Wilderlands and character creation rules for the unique classes, races, and gods of the Wilderlands. It also provides an overview of the important cities and geographic features of the Wilderlands, detailing them in terms that a character in the Wilderlands would know or could easily learn with little investigation. This book also contains a "guided tour" of the City State of the Invincible Overlord, a key setting for running a campaign in the Wilderlands as well as a number of monsters unique to the Wilderlands setting.   ABOUT JUDGES GUILD   Judges Guild was the first company to publish a Fantasy Role Playing city and campaign products. Judges Guild was the first company to publish a FRP magazine, predating Dragon magazine. Judges Guild was the first company to provide outdoor encounter tables, urban encounter tables and several innovative rules such as critical hits, weapon reach and speed rules, and many other rules refinements as well as the first DM's Screen called the Judges Shield and the classic "Ready Ref Sheets." Judges Guild also originally produced the Official tournament adventure module for every early GenCon convention. You can visit Judges Guild online at www.judgesguild.com and www.judgesguild.net.   A NOTE FROM BOB BLEDSAW   Nothing brings me more satisfaction than to hear that individual Judges' copies of these products have become dog-eared or filled with notes necessitating new copies. It is like a grand symphony. To inspire others to create is my fervent hope. Your players will respond to your delight in seeing your creation take on life and enthusiasm will increase the fun.   All within is merely inspiration for the active and pontifical judge of the guild. Please alter, illuminate, expand, modify, extrapolate, interpolate, shrink, and further manipulate all contents to suit the tenor of your campaign. -- Bob Bledsaw  

THE WILDERLANDS SETTING

  From the otherworldly Great Race and the draconic First Men and their dragon allies to the evil and mysterious Markrabs who engulfed the world in the Uttermost War; from the Ancient Kelnorian Empire, the Orichalan Dragon Lords and the very gods themselves who immersed the lands in the War of the Pious and Philosophers to the current struggle between Viridistan and the emerging city states, the Wilderlands is a place of conflict, fallen empires and disparate cultures and races. The feel is one of a world in decline or new rebirth, filled with ruins and ancient mystery. In many places, civilization is just beginning to return. It is the perfect backdrop for high fantasy adventure focused on your player's characters.   This setting is different from many popular published settings in four key ways.   First, though there are powerful individual NPCs in the Wilderlands, the setting is designed to focus on the actions of the player characters. There are no secret groups of high-powered meddlers to control the destiny of the world or save the day as in some published settings. The PCs are not pawns in a greater game; they are the game. No other setting has as much flexibility for the PCs to be heroes, to carve out strongholds, to lead armies, to become kings in their own right, to establish major temples and churches, to become the most powerful of wizards, to unite the barbarian tribes, become a legendary pirate captain or to found their own cities. The possibilities are endless, and the materials needed to run such campaigns are all fully detailed here in these books.   Second, unlike many current published settings where everything has been discovered and most of the world is known, the Wilderlands are largely unexplored and overland travel - often an overlooked portion of game play in other settings - is in this setting both crucial and dangerous. Much of the setting is wild and unknown, riddled with the ruins and relics of many past empires. Civilization is but a candle in the dark. In fact, much of the mystery and fun of the setting is the exploration of the wilds.   Third, the setting is designed to be truly high fantasy, encompassing many varied classes, races and settings. From the ice wizards of Valon, secluded in their shimmering silver and gold towers or using weather mastery to propel their ships over the Uther Pentwegern Sea to the red-skinned barbarians of Altanis carving out history with their bloody axes; from the Pirates of Tarantis, in league with the Tarantine Merchants, pillaging the shipping lanes of the Winedark Sea to the fierce Amazon Warriors, wearing little or no armor, accompanied by their saber-toothed tigers, bringing death with their shining swords; from the rangers of Dearthwood, battling the vicious Orcs of the Purple Claw, ever searching for their foe's stronghold, to the dragons that have retreated to their weirs in the Valley of the Ancients, where lurks races and ruins of even greater age and mystery; the Wilderlands is a place of high adventure.   Fourth, the setting is designed to be inclusive and flexible. Judges Guild products have always encouraged the use and adoption of other products and rules. If you like psionics, include them. If you like rules or monsters from other supplements or publishers, feel free to incorporate them. You never need to fear that some "official" supplement will trump your ideas or design. This setting exists for you, not the other way around. And if you wish to put your favorite fantasy city or dungeon in the Wilderlands, you should feel free to do so.   SUPPLEMENTAL DOWNLOADS   You can also check Judges Guild for additional resources, including Wilderlands-specific character sheets, downloads of dungeons, downloads of revised material detailing the city of Modron and the fortress of Thunderhold, lesser races of the Wilderlands, blank campaign hexagon maps and a number of official and fan-created adventures. None of this is necessary to run a Wilderlands campaign, but you might find it useful.   SOURCE MATERIAL FROM OLD JUDGES GUILD PRODUCTS   We have incorporated information from all of the old and out of print classic Judges Guild products so that no old Judges Guild products are needed to run a Wilderlands campaign. Have no fear. You don't need to scour ebay for those products to run a Wilderlands campaign. We have included references in the text of the map booklets to refer readers to some of the classic products as an added bonus for those who want to see the classic source material. Unlike some published settings where you feel you have to buy 100 supplements just to understand the world, with the Wilderlands if you have this module, you have everything you need. A bibliography of classic Judges Guild products is provided at the end of this Introduction for the curious fan or collector.   If you do decide to track down any of the old classic Judges Guild products, the two that might provide most useful (and which are the most detailed) are the City State of the World Emperor, which details the city state of Viridistan, and Tarantis , which details that city state.   CAMPAIGN MAPS   The core of the Wilderlands setting - and the thing that makes it unique from any other setting - is the level of detail of the maps. Each of the 18 regional maps breaks the setting down into 5-mile hexes.   HEX SIZE AND DISTANCES   Each hex covers an area 5 miles across. At this scale, each regional map covers an area approximately 170 miles by 260 miles. Taking all 18 maps together, in 6 rows of 3 maps each, gives a total mapped area of about 780 miles wide by 1020 miles long - an area that is approximately the size of the Mediterranean Sea and its surrounding lands from the Straights of Gibraltar to near the bottom of Italy's "boot." For reference, England (not including Scotland) is about 300 miles high by 300 miles wide.   Here are some distances in the Wilderlands and their comparable distances on Earth, to give some perspective to the size of the setting:       CAMPAIGN HEXAGON SYSTEM   The system of mapping of the Wilderlands is referred to as the "Campaign Hexagon System." Blank copies of the Campaign Hexagon System maps can be found in this chapter as well as for free download at Judges Guild. Permission is granted to photocopy the blank Campaign Hexagon System map for your own personal use.   In the Campaign Hexagon System, each campaign map is detailed in 5-mile hexes. This is known as the "Grand Tactical" map, since it shows the world on its largest scale.   Using the provided blank Campaign Hexagon System maps, each 5-mile "Grand Tactical" hex can be further broken down into 625 smaller hexes, each of which are 0.2 miles (1,056 feet) across and contain 22.2 acres (967,032 square feet). This level of detail is useful for detailed overland wilderness travel.   Using the same system, each 0.2-mile hex can be further subdivided into 625 smaller hexes, each of which are 42.24 feet wide. This level of detail is appropriate for villages, towns, strongholds, castles, lairs and ruins.   Note that the very useful Judges Guild Village Books, Castle Books, Island Books and Temple Books all use this Campaign Hexagon System of mapping, as do the Wilderlands Module Series. See the Bibliography provided at the end of this chapter. These books can be obtained in electronic format from www.drivethrurpg.com with some samples being available on www.judgesguild.com.   OLD vs NEW JUDGES GUILD MAP NUMBERS & NAMES   Originally, the Wilderlands setting was released in four installments, each detailing a set of maps, plus the City State of the World Emperor, which detailed that city as well as the map that contained it. The maps were numbered in order of their release, not necessarily in any logical order from a map standpoint. Many old Judges Guild products refer to "Map Numbers" rather than the names of the actual maps. To reduce confusion, in this version of the Wilderlands setting we refer to maps by their geographic name and we have arranged the map chapters not in their old map number order but in order from left to right, from top to bottom as the maps themselves fit together (for more see the "Using the Map Booklets" chapter). The following table is provided to help new users interpret old "Map Number" references in older Judges Guild products. The following list also includes the name of the original product that contained the map.     Note: In some overview maps in old Judges Guild products, Map 12 was erroneously labeled as the Ebony Coast and Map 13 was erroneously labeled as the Isles of the Blest. They are listed correctly here.   This is the world of the Majestic Wilderlands. It is about the exploration of a world with a variety of cultures, politics, geography, and people. Over the past twenty-five years these elements have been refined for maximum adventuring potential and to allow the players to make their mark.   A consistent background is an important foundation of roleplaying games. The background elements serve as seeds for adventures. It allows players to acquire treasures that are not just gold or magic items. Gaining connections and allies can be as valuable as anything they find in a chest.   The Majestic Wilderlands is presented as a consistent whole. But like the previous two sections the individual entities have been written so that can serve as idea seeds for your own setting. You can take one or more and weave them into your next campaign.   The assumed date for the following material is 4436 BCCC. Three years after the start date given in the various Judges Guild materials.  

Overview

  It began twelve years ago, then two dukes, Draco-Lindus of New Caelam, and Divolic of Rhyl came to power in the City-State of the Invincible Overlord. Draco-Lindus was the favored of Mitra, the goddess of light, and good. Divolic was the favored of Set, the dark god of night, and evil. The Overlord Lucius III appointed Draco-Lindus, and Divolic as dukes on the same day. He hoped that elevating the two rivals would keep peace in his kingdom. It did ... for a time.   Then rebels in a rebellion in one of the Overlord’s northern duchies killed his son and heir. This left his three-year-old grandson Halius as heir. The Overlord was old when his son died, and he was dying. He appointed a council of regents to decide on the succession. He asked them to look after the best interests of the realm and choose the next Overlord wisely. This was not to be.   The Overlord Lucius died in the year 4453, the council convened. Quickly it fell into bickering and argument over which male relatives in the Lucius' clan would be Overlord. Then the Duke of Gaenost, one of the council members, died and a seat was vacant. Duke Draco-Lindus and Duke Divolic were the leading candidates for the seat. In a election many felt was bought, Duke Divolic was narrowly elected to the council of regents. When Duke Draco-Lindus was ordered to the City-State to swear loyalty to the council. He refused.   Civil war ripped apart the City-State, Duke Divolic and the Regents declared Duke Draco-Lindus a traitor and a rebel. A massive army was raised and marched on New Caelam the seat of the Draco-lindus' power. Outside the town of Werewood the two-sided clashed and fought for three days. The battle was inconclusive, and both withdrew exhausted. The next year saw skirmishes as both sides regained their strengths and gathered allies.   In a dramatic gesture the Dragon Empire was proclaimed restored at the ancient city of Actuan. Draco-lindus was crowned Overlord of the Dragon Empire in the winter of 4455. Upon hearing the news, the Duchy of Dearthmead, south of City-State proclaimed their allegiance to Draco-lindus. Then Elessarian Duke of Halnar kneeled before Draco-lindus and acknowledged him as his Overlord. Revolts sprung up throughout Laknost and Gaenost as Elessarians and Ghinorians banded together against their Tharian masters. Only among the Elessarians of Antil was there no rejoicing at the Draco-lindus' coronation.   Taking command of the situation Duke Divolic quickly put down the rebellions in the two Duchies. But the Tharians of Bernost took advantage of the confusion and with the aid of Sotur and their brethren of the Tharian Coast expelled the forces of City-State. Now in the spring of 4456 the Wilderlands await the renewal of hostilities.