D&D General Prepping for Heroes of the Borderlands in Greyhawk

[Aellic Mornbringer]

So while eagerly awaiting for Heroes of the Borderlands to release, I've been having fun poring over old sourcebooks and Enworld threads to find a good location to place the Keep. I've finally decided to place the Keep in the northeastern Shield Lands, with White Plume Mountain noticeable to the west.

I'm going with a homebrewed earldom named Tradonea (named after the previous neighborhood we used to live in which was a mashup of two subdivisions, Traditions and Adonea.) For the earldom, it has a similar history where three minor noble families consolidated their holdings into a single earldom which then joined the larger Shield Lands. This will give some me some hooks for political intrigue and potential patrons.

The Keep itself will be garrisoned by the Knights of Holy Shielding and possibly supplemented with rotating militia forces from the earldom. The castellan of the Keep encourages the recruitment of adventurers to help reduce threats in the area as well. While researching the Shield Lands and their local adversaries, I found the combo of the nearby Horned Society (who I'm planning to use as the primary evil organization which is facilitating the massing of disparate humanoid tribes in the Caves of Chaos region) and the Bandit Kingdoms (who will be behind the bandit encounters around the Keep) to dovetail nicely into the existing threats in the original module.

I actually ran across another source that places Warduke as one of the eventual Hierarchs of the Horned Society which is great because I was thinking of leveraging Warduke, Kelek, Skylla etc. as the recurring villains. Lastly, given the geographic location, I'm toying with the idea of revamping White Plume Mountain and incorporating it into the campaign as probably a third adventure.

If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions or questions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

 

[Omand]

So while eagerly awaiting for Heroes of the Borderlands to release, I've been having fun poring over old sourcebooks and Enworld threads to find a good location to place the Keep. I've finally decided to place the Keep in the northeastern Shield Lands, with White Plume Mountain noticeable to the west.

I'm going with a homebrewed earldom named Tradonea (named after the previous neighborhood we used to live in which was a mashup of two subdivisions, Traditions and Adonea.) For the earldom, it has a similar history where three minor noble families consolidated their holdings into a single earldom which then joined the larger Shield Lands. This will give some me some hooks for political intrigue and potential patrons.

The Keep itself will be garrisoned by the Knights of Holy Shielding and possibly supplemented with rotating militia forces from the earldom. The castellan of the Keep encourages the recruitment of adventurers to help reduce threats in the area as well. While researching the Shield Lands and their local adversaries, I found the combo of the nearby Horned Society (who I'm planning to use as the primary evil organization which is facilitating the massing of disparate humanoid tribes in the Caves of Chaos region) and the Bandit Kingdoms (who will be behind the bandit encounters around the Keep) to dovetail nicely into the existing threats in the original module.

I actually ran across another source that places Warduke as one of the eventual Hierarchs of the Horned Society which is great because I was thinking of leveraging Warduke, Kelek, Skylla etc. as the recurring villains. Lastly, given the geographic location, I'm toying with the idea of revamping White Plume Mountain and incorporating it into the campaign as probably a third adventure.

If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions or questions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

Interesting ideas.

I am waiting to learn more about the set before buying. It does look quite interesting, but also expensive for me up here in Canada with the current world situation on tariffs and trade.

Cheers

 

[aco175]

I'm trying to figure out where to place it near Phandalin/Neverwinter.

 

[Omand]

Oh, and to actually somewhat answer the question.

I homebrew, so it will be dropped into my campaign world with modifications (maybe, depending on how they set the new version up). I have two or three borderland areas in the campaign world where the keep would fit nicely. Again, waiting to see more about the contents, especially on how they may have revamped the caves themselves, before making a decision.

Now, your question was about published worlds, so I will think on the ones I know.

Cheers

 

[Aellic Mornbringer]

I'm trying to figure out where to place it near Phandalin/Neverwinter.

I'd originally considered doing this first but I've never run a campaign in Greyhawk so decided to make the leap from FR for this one. That said, in FR, I was looking between The Crags and the Starmetal Hills with the keep regarrisoned by Neverwinter to slow down and deter any humanoid forces approaching Neverwinter Wood from the NE. (ala, a deterrent to preventing or at least slowing another horde like the one that destroyed the original Phandalin.) I was leaning towards the Crags BUT, the mysterious Starmetal Hills could provide some interesting background and motivation for the Keep and Caves.

 

[Aellic Mornbringer]

Interesting ideas.

I am waiting to learn more about the set before buying. It does look quite interesting, but also expensive for me up here in Canada with the current world situation on tariffs and trade.

Cheers

I hear that. As I've been researching for starting this upcoming campaign, it dawned on me that I already own a few versions of Keep on the Borderlands. A copy of the original module, the Goodman Games OAR version, the 25th anniversary "Return to Keep on the Borderlands", and Frandor's Keep which is Hackmaster's homage to KotB (and a very well done one at that. I believe it's still available via pdf. I'll note that it only covers the Keep and some adventures. They never released the companion module that would have covered the "Mines of Chaos" in their version.) Anyway, I asked myself if I really needed this one but I've got two of my kids just hitting the right age to really get into the game and I figured this Starter set would somewhat help them but really help introduce the game to any friends they have that might be interested. (And who am I kidding, I'm a big collector and I can't say no to Starter sets. )

 

[Aellic Mornbringer]

Again, waiting to see more about the contents, especially on how they may have revamped the caves themselves, before making a decision.

I'm really curious to see how they've revamped the Caves themselves as well. From the glimpses of the map I've seen in teasers, it doesn't look they expanded the distances between the various caves but I could be wrong. I think I'm going to do that regardless.

 

[Jusholl]

Looking forward to running Heroes of the Borderlands in the world of Greyhawk

 

[haakon1]

I already own a few versions of Keep on the Borderlands. A copy of the original module, the Goodman Games OAR version, the 25th anniversary "Return to Keep on the Borderlands", and Frandor's Keep which is Hackmaster's homage to KotB

I’ve got all those and combine elements of all 4 for my version.

When my primary campaign began in 1996 (still going), it started with “Return to KotB” in AD&D 1e rules (it was written for 2e). I placed it in Bissel, at the edge of Yatil Mountains wilderness and the end of Bisselite control before the Highfolk vaguely begins. My Highfolk - I think as intended - is not a country but a vaguely defined region of independent holdings ranging from fortified inns to nomadic tribes to the Town of Highfolk.

By the time the Family Campaign got there ~2022, retired PC’s from the main campaign we’re living there, owning the Green Man pub and leading the ranger patrol, respectively. One active PC owns it and others live there in their downtime, but they are off on an adventure. I used OAR “Into the Borderlands” and these PC’s investigated the Lonely Tower and Quasqueton.

The retroactively “official” place to put the Keep is the Yeomanry, but I think your choice of the Shield Lands, my choice of Bissel, or others’ choice of Ratik make more sense.

FYI, Anna Meyers has the best Greyhawk maps, and her personal campaign focuses on the Shield Lands, so you may want to check out her work. If you’re on Facebook, Flannaess Geography group is great for discussions like this.

 

[Aellic Mornbringer]

I’ve got all those and combine elements of all 4 for my version.

...

FYI, Anna Meyers has the best Greyhawk maps, and her personal campaign focuses on the Shield Lands, so you may want to check out her work. If you’re on Facebook, Flannaess Geography group is great for discussions like this.

Very cool!

And yes, I stumbled across Anna Meyers maps online some time ago, an excellent resource. Ironically it was zooming in on her Shield Lands maps that ultimately swayed me to basing the adventure there. I'll have to poke around for the Flannaess Geography group, thanks for the suggestion!