Dungeon23 Part 6: Merchant Row

I'm starting my #Dungeon23 posts back up, but I can't guarantee that I will be posting something related to it every day of 2023.  There are four main reasons for this decision.  First, I want to post about other topics than the #Dungeon23.  Second, I am treating my #Dungeon23 posts as an exercise in brainstorming a rough draft that will lead to an updated pdf compilation later. Third, I am most likely going to use statistics that are system agnostic or at least not tied to the OGL. Fourth, I accepted a new job at my employer, and I have no idea what the time commitment will be, so I need to maintain some sort of balance between all of my commitments.  With that being said, let's move on to the next #Dungeon23 post.

Dungeon23 on Hold - Waiting on FULL OGL update

As the old saying goes, "things change", and it looks like the OGL is changing in a big way. This new OGL version 1.1 goes in a completely different direction than OGL version 1.0a.  My plan was to use Delving Deeper statistics for detailing any NPCs, magic items, monsters, etc. that might pop up during my #Dungeon23 posts.  I have decided to hold off on any posts until after January 13th of 2023, because that keeps getting thrown around as some sort of cutoff date.  I would like the full details that come with that date before continuing on with any support for any type of OGL product.  I'm most definitely not a lawyer experienced in intellectual property law, copyright, trademark, contract law, or any other similar area.  I'm just a gamer with a blog that gets a small bit of traffic and interaction from time to time.  I like putting up stuff to support the games I like BUT now I have to decide whether to support any OGL game in my blog or use some sort of "fair use and no infringement intended" notice to any house rule posts I put on my blog. I suspect the OGL tab at the top of my blog will disappear at some point in the future.  Make no mistake about it, I think Delving Deeper is one of the best games I have in my collection.  I have no problem with it, but I do have a problem supporting the OGL.

Dungeon 23 Part 5: Notice Board [Catch Up Post]

This post is the first #Dungeon23 post of the day and will serve to get me caught up.

The notice board was placed in the main square of Frane years ago. It began as a way for the city officials to communicate with the citizenry and visitors. The notice board has grown to allow job postings and other types of announcements. People are free to place their information on the board all to read.  Some examples of the information that can be found on the notice board are stated below.

[1] Help Wanted at The Riverfront.  Dockmaster Jim seeks new dockhands. 

[2] Caravan to Aren seeking extra escorts. Contracts can be negotiated with the trademaster.

[3] Have you seen my cat? For reward, see Jasper.

[4] Survey team for newly discovered mine seeking extra security and help.  

[5] Have you heard the message of The Redeemer? Come to our Temple on the West side of the city.

[6] Help needed - Looking for a sturdy group to retrieve Nightshade.

[7] Rat infestation needs clearing.

more to come...

Slight Pause

Just a heads up for anyone interested, there will NOT be a #Dungeon23 post on 01/05/2023 (today) because I'm not quite satisfied with that entry BUT there will be 2 separate posts on 01/06/2023.

Dungeon23 Part 4: Serenity Inn

I'm foregoing a map depicting the Serentiy Inn at the moment.  The inn is more for background and flavor rather than important location that needs everything mapped out; most of that can be done one the fly if it's needed.  Honestly, I'm just not excited about drawing a floor plan for an inn right at this moment.  I will, however, provide some information below that may come up during play.

The Serenity Inn is located on the West side of the road a short distance inside of Frane.  The husband-and-wife team of Otto and Brianna have operated the establishment ever since Otto's father passed it down to his son a few years ago.  They maintain a welcoming atmosphere for the citizenry and visitors of Frane and the Serenity Inn has continued to be a popular place for celebrations and activities.

The main dining area has a counter that can seat eight people while there are 12 tables that can accommodate 4 people each.  There is a fireplace to keep the building warm and storytellers or minstrels have been known to perform from time to time in the main hall.  There is also a private party room that can be rented out by the hour as well as 6 rooms upstairs that can be rented for a comfortable night's sleep.  Some of the more popular dishes served at the Serenity Inn include potato soup, roast, and fish from the nearby river.

There are rarely any issues at the Serentiy Inn that can't be fixed by a warm bowl of soup or a refreshing cup of mead.  It's a pretty lowkey place without much drama.  If one asks around, some of the rumors you might hear include the following.

[1] A mine has recently been uncovered south of the river.

[2] The evil snake-cult of Grax has tried recruiting in town recently.

More to come later...

Dungeon 23 Part 3: North Gate

The North Gate of Frane generally stays open during daylight hours and gets closed when the sun starts lowering in the sky. Two guards (G), stationed on each side of the entrance, monitor the traffic coming through the gate.  Their main intent is to keep a watchful eye out for unsavory people that are known criminals and scam artists.  The guards also ensure that all vendors entering the city have their associated permits to set up a tent or stand in the Merchant Row area.  

These guards typically serve 8-hour shifts before getting relieved by the next shift.  If a situation arises that they cannot handle on their own, each guard has a whistle to blow in case of emergencies as well as a large bell hanging by the gate.  Using either of these will alert other members of the city watch to respond; typically, 2+1D6 of the guards will immediately respond.  When the gate is closed at nightfall, anyone seeking entrance must speak to the guards through the window in the middle of one of the doors.

 

Dungeon23 Part 2: Frane Map with Points of Interest

 The North Gate (1) and South Gate (9) are typically patrolled by two guards on watch.  They handle disturbances at the gates and ensure traffic flows smoothly.  They usually keep the gate open during the day and close them when the sun starts going down.  The guards have been instructed to tighten up security during this time. 

The Serenity Inn (2) is the third building on the West side of the road inside the North Gate.  Patrons can get a hardy bowl of stew, a mug of mead, or other refreshments.  There are several tables for seating and entertainment is available at times in the form of a storyteller or minstrels. The second floor has six rooms available to rent for a reasonable price.

Continuing South down the road you will find the Main Square (3) in the center of the city.  In the center of this area is the Notice Board (4) with various listings posted on it.  Situated around this area are tents, carts, and wagons comprising the Merchant Row (5) offering various goods for purchase by shoppers. A member of the city watch is usually stationed here to ensure that all vendors have a permit and to keep disputes civil.  

Travelling West down the street, you can find a Temple of the Redeemer (6) a short walk away from the Main Square area.  Across the street from the temple, Henrik's Supplies (7) offers all sorts of gear and items for sale.  Southeast of the Merchant Square area, The Bloody Claw (8) is tavern that has been known to host a rough crowd at times. 

Exiting the South Gate (9) you can access the bridge crossing over the river, or you can turn West and visit Riverfront (10), a port and dock area that serves as a stopping point of the local trade route among several cities.

Dungeon23 Part 1: Overworld Map

This is the overland map of the immediate area around the city of Frane in the center of the map.  Some information related to this setting and map is listed below.

The lower left-hand corner of the map contains the directional compass.  

The center of the map contains the city of Frane.  There has been pretty steady growth for several years and Frane is on the verge of becoming a hot spot or destination area for travelers. Frane is located on the North side of the river and there is a small dock and port area along the river that has spawned a fish market.  The port is a stop along the river trade route among several cities. There is a road leading North out of the city gates and a road on the South bank of the river.

Following the road North, there are three areas of interest not far from the city.  A set of ruins is to the East while a small village and lies to the West along with a small hut housing an old man close to the pond. Rumors persist that he could be a hermit, a wizard, and other interesting claims.

There is a recently uncovered opening in the small mountains on the south side of the river.  A recent storm system saw several lightning strikes in that area that caused several rockslides to occur. A survey team noticed the opening and has sent word back to the city for the possibility of further exploration.

Dungeon23 Part 0: Ready to Begin

I keep a few notebooks and journals on hand for when ideas hit so I can start collecting all of the information together in one spot.  Plus, it allows me to easily carry one in my lunch bag at work so I can add to it if the mood strikes. When I read about the #Dungeon23 challenge a few days ago I thought it was a perfect opportunity to break one of these journals out to use for storing my ideas on the megadungeon I would create in the process.  I had four of them available, so I looked through them and decided to use this Navy Blue digest-sized dotted journal for my work.

Even though I was intrigued by the idea of the challenge, I was having a little issue with getting started.  Back in the day, we used to just roll with it and go on, but I haven't made a dungeon in years because I haven't played face to face in a LONG time.  I have done some play-by-post gaming but nothing "live".  I do have some notes on a campaign world, Toldara, that I've been working on so this will be a chance to incorporate some of that stuff into the challenge, but I was still mentally "locked up" until a few days ago.  

It dawned on me what I was doing wrong in this instance.  I wasn't breaking up the information into bite-size portions, but I was trying to figure out everything all at once.  The ideas started flowing pretty freely once I broke down the information.  This doesn't mean that I will complete the challenge.  I may get 2 months end and run out of steam.  I hope not but I do intend to complete the challenge.  In addition, I'm not strictly sticking to only a megadungeon during my posts.  I'm going to post about the surrounding area and other places of interest.  I may do one large dungeon and several smaller ones.  I honestly don't know yet, but I did make this cheesy, hand-drawn title page for my journal.

Good luck to everyone participating in the #Dungeon23 challenge.  I look forward to seeing what develops in your posts as well as mine.

Maintenance & Plans

Just a quick update about some blog maintenance and plans for the coming year.

I deleted my other blogs because they were dead in the water.  I went through a divorce years ago around the time they were started, and I struggled with getting up and going.  The time for a separate blog on those subjects has come and gone.  If there is anything that comes up that would be worth posting, I will just post it here.

I plan on continuing on with my usual D&D posts, Miniature Monday posts, and Fan Film Friday posts as well.  In addition, I plan on posting once a month leading up to the 50th anniversary of D&D as well as attempting the #Dungeon23 challenge.  I'm not sticking to just a megadungeon for my posts, though.  I'm going to try to use this as an opportunity to consolidate and flesh out the scattered notes for my campaign world a bit better.  There will be overworld stuff, town locations, dungeons, etc.  The point being trying to have 365 posts about campaign world information in one form or another.