Building a Lost Dwarven Kingdom

For a general idea, I remember I was in a BR game once that involved us accidentally stumbling across a lost elven kingdom. The catch was that those few survivors of the initial catostraphe were magically trapped in a curse where they were trapped in some type of time stasis on another plane. Only on nights of the fullmoon were they actually permitted back on the Prime plane and only during the moonlight.

After that, it definately became a more political type of game. We had to explore the rest of this gigantic city that was lost to the forest. We knew there was an ancient dragon on the far side along with a liche in the catacombs beneath the city. Also, we had an enemy with an army marching right for us so the great, mythical city wouldn't be founded again (since it was prophecized that it would be his downfall).

Of course, after all of this it became a very political type of game. Our PCs were fairly diverse, so my priest went about setting up and restoring the temple, another set up training some of the locals as scouts, the wizard took on an apprentice or two, etc.

It came down to having some adventurers followed by some downtime of IC stuff (building this, researching that, sending letters here, etc.). We began to try forging alliances with other nations to try to get help, etc. I've always wanted to play in a game like that again (of course we had a great group too, but the story helped a lot too).

Just a couple of ideas. I think those other dwarven cities, while happy to see another dwarven city founded, would be jealous and upset at seeing more competition in the market. There are plenty of other forces at work in the North that a new kingdom would cause some troubles with too.

Great idea! Good luck with it.

No one suggested Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn? Good heavens.

Even though it's a Dragonlance box, the maps and details of dwarven kingdoms are easily portable to any campaign. Maps of entire kingdoms can be put together using this set.

It's fantastic, and the main resource I use for creating dwarven realms in my Forgotten Realms game.

Cyri'kazzen the Drow, I forgot! I'll look tonight when I get home from work (gimme an hour) and I'll post the pics in this thread.

I worked 'em up using Dungeon Crafter. They took an obscene amount of time. I even had to make my own tileset since I'm just really picky about the way my maps look.

Don't lie to us this time, die kluge...

Would I lie to you?

Hmm, one of them is too large... *grumble*

First - yes, I *do* spend too much time on my maps. Second, I have some 'splaining to do.

This module I ran for my players was set in the Bluffside world. This complex was found on a remote, previously undiscovered continent devoid of advanced civilization. Any treasure they found here, they couldn't really do anything with. So, there is a room described as "knee deep full of gems". This isn't a trick, or an illusion. It really is full of gems knee deep. It's designed by the dwarves to deter would-be intruders from venturing further into the dungeon. It was worthless stuff to them eons past when the place was inhabited. Put this into any kingdom as it is, and the PCs will alter the economics of the world. You probably want to change that. In my game, it didn't matter, since they didn't have anywhere to sell them. Even though they did scoop most of them up into their portable holes. By the time my players managed to get back to civilization (the campaign ended before then for RL reasons) the game would be completed, so I didn't care.

Secondly, there are uber amounts of treasure to be had in the last room. I intended for them to get in, fight craploads of shadows, and get out. They got clever on me, and found ways to deter them enough, and they ended up getting everything out. I kind of built that room on the theory that they wouldn't be able to examine everything and would just grab something and go. There is armor in there suitable to the backstory of one of my PCs, and you'll see a reference to Ivo, so change that to suit your needs. My theory was that if you give players 100 +2 swords, and they can only really use 1 of them, the rest are just eye candy. Again, if you're placing this into a normal setting where things can be sold, you're just asking for trouble.

Also, be wary, the CRs in this place aren't terribly high. They don't have to be. Sending a half a dozen shadows in wave after wave against almost *any* party can result in a TPK. Shadows drain strength (1d6, btw) not hit points. Even high level fighters don't have that much to spare. You might consider dropping the damage to 1d4 so that you can nickle and dime them to death slower.

Also, the puzzle thing on Map 5 I've already posted in and old thread. That thread is long. I'll dig it up and post it next.

Here is the puzzle.
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1352246&postcount=189

and solution...

One last thing... I drew that up with Dungeon Crafter. I created my own tileset for parts of it. If anyone wants it let me know and I can post it as well.

If you want to steal an idea from a DL novel from way back when, have part of the dwarven city be built into a gigantic stalactite hanging down from the ceiling of an immense underground cavern....

Wow Die Kluge, impressive stuff!!! Thank you so much for all the maps and detail. I am indebted to you.