KNIGHTS OF KALDOR & FETHAEL HUNDRED
This website is the product of a project I started in 2004.
The project had two inter-related objectives. First, I wanted a
Harnic "career campaign", like the ones I'd played in other RPG
systems. Second, I wanted to explore "local campaigns", which
are adventures set in a geographically small but richly detailed
setting.
I approached creating the career campaign much as an author
would tackle a novel. The campaign outline
lays out a plot that is constructed of several distinct stages.
I didn't want to assume that the players (or GM) had any
previous knowledge of the Harn setting or the HarnMaster rules,
so I started with the basics - combat. In the first part of the
campaign, the Player-Characters (PCs) are faced with problems
that can be handled with combat and roleplaying. As the
characters advance through the campaign, they are presented with
increasingly difficult challenges - obstacles that require them
to solve puzzles and use a variety of skills.
The campaign is set in a small Hundred in eastern Kaldor. I
chose this location specifically because it allowed me to
develop a great amount of detail. Collaborators and players have
joked that I "may have left a dog in Hundholt without a name"
but I doubt it. The level of detail should not be viewed as
daunting, however, but as a backdrop that is as deep as the
players need it to be.
The combination of a expansive plot and a detailed setting means
that a GM needs to prepare before running this campaign. There
are too many threads to deal with all on the fly. Not all
threads will fit
into a campaign or suit each group. Don't be afraid to make up alternative plot
lines. There is plenty to do in the Hundred. Each manor has a
"cheat sheet" at the end but there are also plenty of seeds scattered
throughout the material.
Before introducing the site organization, I need to
acknowledge the people that have helped me get as far as I have.
Robert Barfield has been an amazing sounding board and has
helped refine ideas as well as editing articles. Allan Prewett
took on the job of running the playtesting group, which involved
as much campaign creation as it did refereeing. The maps done by
George Kelln have been spectacular and his imagination have
helped fill in blanks that I didn't know I had. Additionally, I
need to thank Dan Bell, Kerry Mould, and John Sgammato for their
helpful hints and creative suggestions along the way.
The Knights of Kaldor website has five
main areas.
- Manors & Locations
- This page holds all of the manor and associated location articles. It is also the home for the NPC write-ups.
- Adventures and Backgrounds
- This page is where I keep the Knights of Kaldor campaign adventures and background material.
- General Articles
- This page has articles that aren't specifically related to the Knights of Kaldor but could be used in the campaign.
- GM Notes
- This page contains the notes I've derived through the play-testing process.
- Stray Thoughts
- This page is where I put general thoughts and ramblings about writing and role-playing. These aren't polished enough to call "essays" but there's good information in here.
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