Wilderlands of High Fantasy - What do I need to start a 5e campaign?

O

ozreth

Explorer

• May 19, 2019

• #1

I'm looking to get into this setting, but am not sure where to start. I'd like to have a setting book, a city book . (CSotIO?) and some adventures that are specific to the setting. Maps would help too.

However, I can't wrap my head around the various printings and editions. I can't really get a grasp on what's going on with the Kickstarters, where to find the most updated materials etc.

Basically, if you were to put together a starter package to get a campaign going what would it looks like?

Any help would be great. Thanks!

 

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JeffB

Legend

• May 19, 2019

• #2

The original WoHF guidebook for OD&D
Ready Ref sheets
CSIO (original OD&D or Universal system print, not the Mayfair edition)

I am far more partial to the original products as I grew up with them, but many people love the boxed set and player's guide by Necromancer Games from the 3.5 era. It is probably an "easier" product to grasp the setting as a whole. But I prefer the original leaner original presentation which is more of a "Wilderlands Construction Kit"


Of course there are the other regional supplements- Wilderlands of the Magic Realm, Fantastic Wilderlands Beyonde, and Wilderlands of the Fantastic Reaches (these regions are included in the boxed 3.5E set)


Adventure Recommendations-Keep in mind these are VERY different products than modern day D&D adventures
Tegel Manor (original OD&D, not the godawful Mayfair rewrite/updated and expanded version)
Mines of Custalcon
Gencon IX Dungeons
Of Skulls & Scrapfaggot Green
Frontier Forts of Kelnore
Dark Tower (anything by Jaquays is worth picking up)
Witches Court Marshes

Any of the "Book of" titles. Ruins, Treasure Maps, etc,
Any of the "place" titles- Castle Book, Village Book, Island Book, etc.

I would also highly recommend the Dungeoneer compendium Issues 1 through 6. Not strictly Wilderlands, but there are a few fantastic adventures and a mini setting that are easily plugged in wherever you like

 

Last edited: May 19, 2019

mach1.9pants

Hero

• May 20, 2019

• #3

The Necromancer Games is the best place to start, but the box set is ridiculously expensive on the second hand market, even the PDF isn't cheap

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/2745/Wilderlands-of-High-Fantasy-new

But it is all you need for a life time of gaming, and 3.5E is easy to convert to 5E.

I never saw the older stuff until later, I have a lot of it, but they are very indie typewriter scans. It's all there but it's hard to read as small font scans. SO my first intro was Necro games, and I'd recommend that. But if you are happy with how the OD&D booklets are, then go for the original if you prefer.

I you have a bit more cash, this is a great bundle too

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/59811/Complete-Wilderlands-BUNDLE?src=also_purchased

 

AtomicPope

Hero

• May 20, 2019

• #4

Conversions are rather simple but time consuming. I've been doing them since 2nd Edition. Treat it like an Errata, creating separate treasures and creatures that correspond to the new edition. With 5e more often than not you'll want to add creatures but remove magic items (no "bucket" of +1 longswords). The difference here is the way 3e treated combat as a group vs a single monster, whereas 5e is more like classic D&D a group vs a "challenge."

 

Paul Farquhar

Legend

• May 20, 2019

• #5

deleted

 

S

S'mon

Legend

• May 20, 2019

• #6

I use the 3e WoHF box plus the Player's Guide for map and flavour, been running it many years - still great.

 

S

S'mon

Legend

• May 20, 2019

• #7

City book - I prefer the original CSIO to the 3e version, whereas the 3e WoHF is much better than 0e IMO.

Adventures - most are too high level. Good ones include Caverns of Thracia, the Ilhiedrin Book and Lost Man's Trail.

Dyson Logos' stuff also fits great in Wilderlands. And you need encounter tables, the 5e ones in XGTE work well.

I have also used the old White Dwarf adventures The Licheway and Halls of Tizun Thane to good effect. Both are in BoWD Scenarios 3.

 

der_kluge

Adventurer

• Feb 23, 2021

• #8

Don't mind my thread necromancy.

As others have pointed out - the boxed set is what you want, unless you want to run in the City State, then pick up that book as well. It's good stuff. Warning: It's all very gonzo, and some of it borders on ridiculous. I found a butcher shop location in the City State that describes how the butcher sits on top of the shop using a fishing pole to hook pedestrians so he can chop them up and sell the meat. Uh, no.

At any rate, I tone the whole place down quite a bit, and it works pretty well. Just pick a spot you like, and roll with it. It's easier to kind of deal with some of the outlying areas since there are a bit less populated, and you can define them in a manner which suits you. I primarily play on map 1 (Elphand Lands), for example. But I'm also running a campaign currently set in the City State as well.

 

beast013

Explorer

• Feb 23, 2021

• #9

On a related note, has anyone created/know of anyone who has created the WoHF using ProFantasy CC3+? I've recently purchased the software and would like to avoid creating the wheel again.

 

R

Retreater

Legend

• Feb 23, 2021

• #10

I had an ambitious goal to scan in all the campaign maps and line them up on Roll20. Yeah. That was a ridiculous amount of work.
My recommendation would be to just start with one area at a time. Any single map can be months of campaigning.