At the end of DL3, the PCs found a map to the lost entrance of Thorbardin.
In DL4 Dragons of Desolation, by Tracy Hickman and Michael Dobson, the PCs enter the ancient dwarven city.
And this is exactly why you'll want to grab a copy, even if you never run the #Dragonlance Saga.
In DL4 Dragons of Desolation, by Tracy Hickman and Michael Dobson, the PCs enter the ancient dwarven city.
And this is exactly why you'll want to grab a copy, even if you never run the #Dragonlance Saga.
We're continuing our Let's Read. If you'd like to start from the beginning, you'll want to pop over there.
https://twitter.com/hexcrawl/status/1528081088001605634
I keep talking about the radical experimentation & big, bold ideas of the Saga.
For DL4, Hickman & Dobson deliver one of the best & most detailed dwarven kingdoms ever made.
And the best part is that it's really more of a toolkit that you can use to build ANY dwarven city.
For DL4, Hickman & Dobson deliver one of the best & most detailed dwarven kingdoms ever made.
And the best part is that it's really more of a toolkit that you can use to build ANY dwarven city.
It works like this.
First, there's a large-scale map depicting the entire city. It's over twenty miles across, formed from a variety of huge caverns; a variety of settlements and cities, in fact, joined together by dwarven roads.
First, there's a large-scale map depicting the entire city. It's over twenty miles across, formed from a variety of huge caverns; a variety of settlements and cities, in fact, joined together by dwarven roads.
Second, there are modular city sections. Sixteen of them in all.
These are similar to the old Dungeon Geomorphs, but on a much grander scale.
More recently, @DysonLogos has revisited the geomorph concept to great success.
More recently, @DysonLogos has revisited the geomorph concept to great success.
(Here's a link to Dyson's geomorphs page, including additional links to online mapping tools that you can use to rapidly create dungeons using the geomorphs.)
dysonlogos.blog/maps/geomorph-…
dysonlogos.blog/maps/geomorph-…
As you can see, these Dwarven Kingdom-morphs are designed so that any one of the morphs can be connected to any other morph in any orientation.
Hickman & Dobson lampshade this by saying that dwarves like tried-and-true architecture: If it worked once, let's build it again.
Hickman & Dobson lampshade this by saying that dwarves like tried-and-true architecture: If it worked once, let's build it again.
The final component are the maps of each area within Thorbardin, demonstrating how the geomorphs are arranged in that section.
The key indicates Morph # (upper left), orientation (upper right, by compass direction), and keyed encounter (center).
The key indicates Morph # (upper left), orientation (upper right, by compass direction), and keyed encounter (center).
Even though the module is only 30 pages long, this technique -- and the tools provided -- allow Thorbardin to be both (a) truly gargantuan in scale and (b) fully mapped.
Fallen, on my Discord server, noted that a similar system was used a few years later for the dwarven cities in THE DWARVES OF ROCKHOME (the sixth Gazetteer of the Known World).
Although not fully compatible, they can be cobbled together with the Thorbardin-morphs.
Although not fully compatible, they can be cobbled together with the Thorbardin-morphs.
And DL4 isn't even done yet!
In order to offer sanctuary to the refugees, the dwarves of Thorbardin require the PCs to perform a quest that takes them to the Floating Tomb.
In order to offer sanctuary to the refugees, the dwarves of Thorbardin require the PCs to perform a quest that takes them to the Floating Tomb.
The Floating Tomb is an incredibly ambitious dungeon in its own right!
First: Check out that map!
Second: It's designed to be run actively; haunted by a ghost who will dog the PCs' heels throughout their exploration of the tomb.
First: Check out that map!
Second: It's designed to be run actively; haunted by a ghost who will dog the PCs' heels throughout their exploration of the tomb.
After a final confrontation with Verminaard (during a heavily scripted series of chase scenes), the Epilogue wraps up Act I / Book 1 / Volume 1 of the Saga with Riverwind and Goldmoon getting married.
(This includes more sheet music for their Wedding Song.)
(This includes more sheet music for their Wedding Song.)
(Aren't they PCs? Yes. But they are GOING TO GET MARRIED.)
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