D&D General Reasons I Love the Dalelands as a Campaign Location

[Tonguez]

I've thought about doing a Birthright-style domain management campaign in the Dales, starting the PCs as local heroes in Harrowdale or Featherdale, doing minor rural adventures before being asked to escort the local envoy to the Dales Council and getting invoved in Courtly politics, Zhent intrigues and the cursed denizens of Myth Dranor from there. I like Harrowdale as it allows for coastal pirates and smuggling adventures too

 

[TheSword]

I've thought about doing a Birthright-style domain management campaign in the Dales, starting the PCs as local heroes in Harrowdale or Featherdale, doing minor rural adventures before being asked to escort the local envoy to the Dales Council and getting invoved in Courtly politics, Zhent intrigues and the cursed denizens of Myth Dranor from there. I like Harrowdale as it allows for coastal pirates and smuggling adventures too

Sembian and Zhent Guilds
Churches of Lathander, Oghma, Tyr, Tempus, Bane, Chauntea, Mystra
Elminster, Colderan, Rhauntides… the odd Red Wizard
Mercenary Bands and fledgeling dales

You could definitely model this with Birthright. A number of clear adventures could ensure … recover the pendant of Ashaba, clear out a ghost hold, discover which wizard is porting ships up the feather falls, discover the source of the Shaking Sickness. So many relevant things to do between domain turns.

Most dales could be modeled on 2/3 provinces as well. With a province including a major town or a couple of villages.

 

[TheSword]

In case it is of interest… a list of modules from numerous sources. Courtesy of Reddit and the adventure database

ARCH WOOD

• "Secrets of the Arch Wood" (Dungeon #121) - level 13, 14 pages, 3e.

CORMANTHOR FOREST (GENERALLY)

• "Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor" (module) - level 6, 99 pages, 3e.
• "The Servants of the Verdant Cloud" (Draconomicon) - level 11, 10 pages, 2e.
• "The Abbey of the Sword" (Faiths & Pantheons) - level 13, 12 pages, 3e.

DAGGER FALLS

• "The Sun Never Rises" (Dungeon #216) - level 1, 19 pages, 4e.
• "The Dawn of Night" (Dungeon #218) - level 1, 15 pages, 4e. Sequel to "The Sun Never Rises".
• "The Return of Randal Morn" (module) - level 3, 34 pages, 2e. Sequel to "The Secret of Spiderhaunt".

DAGGERDALE (GENERALLY)

• "Doom of Daggerdale" (module) - level 2, 34 pages, 2e.
• "Felled Hopes" (Ruins of Zhentil Keep box) - level 5, 20 pages, 2e.
• "City of the Spider Queen" (module) - level 12, 176 pages, 3e. Has a sequel, "Spiral of the Manzessine" from Dungeon #94 which does not appear on this list as it is keyed to Northern Underdark as a starting location.

ESSEMBRA

• "Adderposts" (Serpent Kingdoms) - level 13, 6 pages, 3e.

FEATHERDALE

• "Within the Circle" (Dungeon #130) - level 1, 14 pages, 3e.

HIGHMOON

• "Euphoria Horror" (Dungeon #34) - level 2, 13 pages, 2e.
• "The Vulture's Feast" (Dungeon #210) - level 7, 18 pages, 4e.

MISTLEDALE

• "The Raider's of Galath's Roost" (Dungeon #87) - level 3, 33 pages, 3e.
• "Nymph's Reward" (Dungeon #29) - level 5, 17 pages, 2e.
• "Woe to Mistletoe" (Dungeon #100) - level 8, 21 pages, 3e. Sequel to "The Raider's of Galath's Roost".

MYTH DRANNOR

• "The Hall of the Beast Tamers" (Campaign Setting box) - level 7, 8 pages, 1e.
• "Lashan's Fall" (Campaign Setting box) - level 7, 8 pages, 1e.
• "Til Death Do Us Part" (Dungeon #29) - level 9, 8 pages, 2e.

SHADOWDALE

• "Beneath the Twisted Tower" (Campaign Setting box revised) - level 2, 47 pages, 2e.
• "The Sword of the Dales" (module) - level 3, 34 pages, 2e.
• "The Secret of Spiderhaunt" (module) - level 3, 34 pages, 2e. Sequel to "The Sword of the Dales".
• "Marco Volo: Arrival" (module) - level 7, 32 pages, 2e. Has two prequels, "Marco Volo: Departure" and "Marco Volo: Journey" (modules), which do not appear on this list because they are keyed to the Sword Coast North as the starting location.
• "Tantras" (module) - level 8, 60 pages, 2e. Has a prequel and a sequel, "Shadowdale" and "Waterdeep" (modules), which do not appear on this list because they are keyed to Cormyr (despite the name of that first module) and the Sword Coast North as starting locations.
• "Elminster's Back Door" (Dungeon #30) - level 10, 7 pages, 2e.
• "The Dread Lair of Alokkair" (Lords of Darkness) - level 10, 9 pages, 1e.
• "Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land" (module) - level 11, 160 pages, 3e. Has a prequel and a sequel, "Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave" and "Anauroch: The Empire of Shade" (modules), which do not appear on this list because they are keyed to Cormyr and Anauroch as starting locations.

 

[earthsea_wizard]

• "The Raider's of Galath's Roost" (Dungeon #87) - level 3, 33 pages, 3e.

This one is level 1.

 

[Libertad]

Looks like the OP's dreams are going to come true in 2026!

 

[TheSword]

Looks like the OP's dreams are going to come true in 2026!

Definitely great news. Very pleasantly surprised by the FR stuff released to date. For Ed to add four modern supplements is awesome. Though timing might be off as my Dalelands campaign is starting in Spring.

 

[earthsea_wizard]

Looks like the OP's dreams are going to come true in 2026!

I don't understand so much D&D art lately, particularly what is shown in those links, verging on a My Little Pony aesthetic. I undestand catering to younger audiences, and don't expect art to match my own preferences these days, but is this what teens are into today? Or is D&D now mainly marketed towards elementary school ages and I missed that memo?

 

[Libertad]

I don't see how the art looks "kiddy" to me, tbh. If going by the link, we have a map, a happy tiefling with glowing eyes, a spider-monster holding what looks like a lamp, and a unicorn at night.

The unicorn might have the most "all ages" saccharine flavor given their prominence in stereotypical pre-teen girls' media, but those creatures have been a long-standing monster in fantasy.

This may be a hot take on my part, but the Forgotten Realms always struck me as a bit twee of a setting in comparison to others, as "saccharine" fantasy elements get a lot of coverage even in pre-4e editions. Be it the large emphasis on bardic and nature themes such as with Drizz't's patron deity Mielikki or the Harpers, the preponderance of female spellcasters in leadership positions, Silverymoon being your idyllic beautiful magic city with tree-buildings, the large amount of elven subraces and focus on elves in lore, Magefair festivals that make magic feel less of a forbidden and hidden art and more of something beautiful and wondrous, and so on.