Book I'd Love to See: Points of Light Series - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Book I'd Love to See: Points of Light Series

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Grimcleaver
Nov 03, 2008 14:10:03 I would love it! Set it up more or less like the Nentir Vale section of the DMG. Put in a regional minimap with a few scattered towns, ruins and dungeons. Have one or two fleshed out brand new cities (equivalent to Fallcrest and Winterhaven). You could produce them just like adventures--I hardly need a big hardcover production (though a Cityscape type book full of different points of light would be great).

If something like this got made I would buy a ton of them. The Base Towns have ended up being one of the best parts and most beloved parts of the new edition for us. We've been taking the downloadable map, printing in in color on good paper with the key to what's where listed on the back and hard laminating it so everyone can pour over it. They're great. It really gives the sense that all you know about is just this little corner of your world--and the rest is this great big dark mystery.

Love it. Want tons of stuff like this.
#2
merrikcale
Nov 04, 2008 10:15:44 I agree. The PoL setting is interesting and certainly I would like to see an expansion of it
#3
xardrax
Nov 04, 2008 10:38:06 Aren´t the H1-3, P1-3 Adventures going that way?
At least in P1 there is a describet new town with a little bit of wilderness around.

But beside, I would like that too, maybe each with a small adventure to introduce the new area.
#4
Grimcleaver
Nov 04, 2008 17:20:27
Aren´t the H1-3, P1-3 Adventures going that way? At least in P1 there is a describet new town with a little bit of wilderness around.

But beside, I would like that too, maybe each with a small adventure to introduce the new area.

Sure. I particularly love Thunderspire Labyrinth. I have a whole campaign set entirely in the Seven Pillared Hall that's been going for a month now. Every piece they add I think is great.

I just like the idea of having more of a primer. Like the Fallcrest backdrop in the DMG, that gives rich detail about a place and sketches out a dozen possible adventures in the area, badguys, ruins and interpersonal politics--rather than a fully detailed adventure with every square room is stocked with every statted out monster, but where the town is vaguely sketched out.

I'm not a pre-written adventure kind of DM anyway. I mostly use the adventures as a backdrop for the PC's own adventures anyhow. I'd prefer my group of characters have their own adventures, rather than doing the same things everyone else has.
#5
barthalas
Nov 05, 2008 14:01:37
Aren´t the H1-3, P1-3 Adventures going that way?
At least in P1 there is a describet new town with a little bit of wilderness around.

But beside, I would like that too, maybe each with a small adventure to introduce the new area.

They do but unfortunately they don't connect the map fomr the H Series to the P1 adventure. They give some vague reference that doesn't jive with the map in the DMG. They should at least have tied P1 into the Nentir Vale with a clear cut location in reference to it. e.g. Moonstair is x days travel down x road form Winterhaven....
#6
Midnight_v
Nov 05, 2008 14:48:35 I'd...

I'd really lke to see an entire points of light campaign setting.
Make that and I'd buy it even though I'm not a 4.0 guy.
#7
Grimcleaver
Nov 05, 2008 17:48:01
I'd really lke to see an entire points of light campaign setting. Make that and I'd buy it even though I'm not a 4.0 guy.

Not entirely sure what you're looking for with regard to a points of light campain setting. The Middle World assumed setting really feels like that to me. Small maps loosely connected if at all, vague references to far off nations and long ago kingdoms. Vast swaths of savage wilderness seperate them. Cool stuff, and points of light like crazy if you ask me.

Now if you're looking for a setting with the same feel, an updated and revised version of the 3.5 rules, and the same feeling of small clusters of civilization surrounded by darkness that is truly dark and awful I might suggest two different settings for you:

Golarion:
http://paizo.com/store/downloads/pathfinderChronicles/v5748btpy82t7&source=search

and Midnight:
http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/f/fantasyFlightGames/byProductType/roleplayingGames/midnight/v5748btpy7czo

Hopefully one of those will give you what you're looking for.
#8
merrikcale
Nov 06, 2008 21:12:06 which adventures have the most info on the PoL setting
#9
Grimcleaver
Nov 07, 2008 18:47:05 I'm not sure there's a specific adventure that talks about it. I haven't bought Keep on the Shadowfell, but since it came out a bit before the Core Books I imagine it might talk about the subject a bit.
http://paizo.com/store/games/roleplayingGames/d/4E/wizardsOfTheCoast/adventures/v5748btpy7zbx&source=search

The adventure with the most Points of Light feel to it so far is probably the King of the Trollhaunt Warrens.
http://paizo.com/store/games/roleplayingGames/d/4E/wizardsOfTheCoast/adventures/v5748btpy82pa

The idea behind the Points of Light is a simple one though--rather than have the new edition of D&D map out the whole world in a big gazetteer, the idea now is to reveal the world a bit at a time through outposts of civilization surrounded by danger and evil. That way you can hook them together in whatever way you want. It gives things a much more dark ages feeling of small settlements that don't know what is over the next ridge and a sense of mystery and adventure because the players don't know either.

The largest of these Points of Light we've seen so far is the Nentir Vale as written up in the Dungeon Master's Guide. It's the backdrop for the first three adventures, Keep on the Shadowfell, Thunderspire Labyrinth, and Pyramid of Shadows and contains a hugely detailed and lavish description of the town of Fallcrest as well as a regional map that shows another ten or so adventuring locations as well as a couple of other interesting nearby towns.

The most discussion of it comes not from an Adventure, but from a paperback introductory book called Worlds & Monsters. http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/w/wizardsOfTheCoast/byProductType/roleplayingGames/dungeonsDragons/4thEdition/wizardsPresents/v5748btpy7zbr&source=search

They talk a lot in there about the nature of the 4e world and about the Points of Light idea.

Anyway hope all that helps!
#10
Kaldric
Nov 07, 2008 19:52:12 The whole PoL setting comes, in my humble opinion, from the setting inferred in the original modules. Many of them simply take place in a town, a keep, a village in the woods, with no mention of larger areas. The sense that this was the entire known world was prevalent. Your characters don't start in a teeming metropolis, they're in a small, abandoned village deep in the monster-haunted forest, with no connection to a larger world. When it comes to heroes, you and your friends are all she wrote.

When you wander down the road, you don't know what's coming next. Maybe a sleepy little village, maybe a wizard-plagued mountain. Basically, whatever module comes out next is what's down the road.

If you connect up all the Points of Light, it's not a "Points of Light" setting anymore. I don't think they want to fill in all of the surrounding area, it would defeat the entire purpose.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Grimcleaver Nov 03, 2008 14:10:03	I would love it! Set it up more or less like the Nentir Vale section of the DMG. Put in a regional minimap with a few scattered towns, ruins and dungeons. Have one or two fleshed out brand new cities (equivalent to Fallcrest and Winterhaven). You could produce them just like adventures--I hardly need a big hardcover production (though a Cityscape type book full of different points of light would be great). If something like this got made I would buy a ton of them. The Base Towns have ended up being one of the best parts and most beloved parts of the new edition for us. We've been taking the downloadable map, printing in in color on good paper with the key to what's where listed on the back and hard laminating it so everyone can pour over it. They're great. It really gives the sense that all you know about is just this little corner of your world--and the rest is this great big dark mystery. Love it. Want tons of stuff like this.
#2 merrikcale Nov 04, 2008 10:15:44	I agree. The PoL setting is interesting and certainly I would like to see an expansion of it
#3 xardrax Nov 04, 2008 10:38:06	Aren´t the H1-3, P1-3 Adventures going that way? At least in P1 there is a describet new town with a little bit of wilderness around. But beside, I would like that too, maybe each with a small adventure to introduce the new area.
#4 Grimcleaver Nov 04, 2008 17:20:27	Aren´t the H1-3, P1-3 Adventures going that way? At least in P1 there is a describet new town with a little bit of wilderness around. But beside, I would like that too, maybe each with a small adventure to introduce the new area. Sure. I particularly love Thunderspire Labyrinth. I have a whole campaign set entirely in the Seven Pillared Hall that's been going for a month now. Every piece they add I think is great. I just like the idea of having more of a primer. Like the Fallcrest backdrop in the DMG, that gives rich detail about a place and sketches out a dozen possible adventures in the area, badguys, ruins and interpersonal politics--rather than a fully detailed adventure with every square room is stocked with every statted out monster, but where the town is vaguely sketched out. I'm not a pre-written adventure kind of DM anyway. I mostly use the adventures as a backdrop for the PC's own adventures anyhow. I'd prefer my group of characters have their own adventures, rather than doing the same things everyone else has.
#5 barthalas Nov 05, 2008 14:01:37	Aren´t the H1-3, P1-3 Adventures going that way? At least in P1 there is a describet new town with a little bit of wilderness around. But beside, I would like that too, maybe each with a small adventure to introduce the new area. They do but unfortunately they don't connect the map fomr the H Series to the P1 adventure. They give some vague reference that doesn't jive with the map in the DMG. They should at least have tied P1 into the Nentir Vale with a clear cut location in reference to it. e.g. Moonstair is x days travel down x road form Winterhaven....
#6 Midnight_v Nov 05, 2008 14:48:35	I'd... I'd really lke to see an entire points of light campaign setting. Make that and I'd buy it even though I'm not a 4.0 guy.
#7 Grimcleaver Nov 05, 2008 17:48:01	I'd really lke to see an entire points of light campaign setting. Make that and I'd buy it even though I'm not a 4.0 guy. Not entirely sure what you're looking for with regard to a points of light campain setting. The Middle World assumed setting really feels like that to me. Small maps loosely connected if at all, vague references to far off nations and long ago kingdoms. Vast swaths of savage wilderness seperate them. Cool stuff, and points of light like crazy if you ask me. Now if you're looking for a setting with the same feel, an updated and revised version of the 3.5 rules, and the same feeling of small clusters of civilization surrounded by darkness that is truly dark and awful I might suggest two different settings for you: Golarion: http://paizo.com/store/downloads/pathfinderChronicles/v5748btpy82t7&source=search and Midnight: http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/f/fantasyFlightGames/byProductType/roleplayingGames/midnight/v5748btpy7czo Hopefully one of those will give you what you're looking for.
#8 merrikcale Nov 06, 2008 21:12:06	which adventures have the most info on the PoL setting
#9 Grimcleaver Nov 07, 2008 18:47:05	I'm not sure there's a specific adventure that talks about it. I haven't bought Keep on the Shadowfell, but since it came out a bit before the Core Books I imagine it might talk about the subject a bit. http://paizo.com/store/games/roleplayingGames/d/4E/wizardsOfTheCoast/adventures/v5748btpy7zbx&source=search The adventure with the most Points of Light feel to it so far is probably the King of the Trollhaunt Warrens. http://paizo.com/store/games/roleplayingGames/d/4E/wizardsOfTheCoast/adventures/v5748btpy82pa The idea behind the Points of Light is a simple one though--rather than have the new edition of D&D map out the whole world in a big gazetteer, the idea now is to reveal the world a bit at a time through outposts of civilization surrounded by danger and evil. That way you can hook them together in whatever way you want. It gives things a much more dark ages feeling of small settlements that don't know what is over the next ridge and a sense of mystery and adventure because the players don't know either. The largest of these Points of Light we've seen so far is the Nentir Vale as written up in the Dungeon Master's Guide. It's the backdrop for the first three adventures, Keep on the Shadowfell, Thunderspire Labyrinth, and Pyramid of Shadows and contains a hugely detailed and lavish description of the town of Fallcrest as well as a regional map that shows another ten or so adventuring locations as well as a couple of other interesting nearby towns. The most discussion of it comes not from an Adventure, but from a paperback introductory book called Worlds & Monsters. http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/w/wizardsOfTheCoast/byProductType/roleplayingGames/dungeonsDragons/4thEdition/wizardsPresents/v5748btpy7zbr&source=search They talk a lot in there about the nature of the 4e world and about the Points of Light idea. Anyway hope all that helps!
#10 Kaldric Nov 07, 2008 19:52:12	The whole PoL setting comes, in my humble opinion, from the setting inferred in the original modules. Many of them simply take place in a town, a keep, a village in the woods, with no mention of larger areas. The sense that this was the entire known world was prevalent. Your characters don't start in a teeming metropolis, they're in a small, abandoned village deep in the monster-haunted forest, with no connection to a larger world. When it comes to heroes, you and your friends are all she wrote. When you wander down the road, you don't know what's coming next. Maybe a sleepy little village, maybe a wizard-plagued mountain. Basically, whatever module comes out next is what's down the road. If you connect up all the Points of Light, it's not a "Points of Light" setting anymore. I don't think they want to fill in all of the surrounding area, it would defeat the entire purpose.