As a starting point to build out from, consider the Bardic College described in Magic of Faerun. It's hidden away on Snowdown, not far from the nearest cantrev. You could make the college PCs' home base if their backgrounds or duties are intertwined with those of the bards. Coupled with a nearby dungeon, you'd have a simple setup not unlike "Keep on the Borderlands" (home base and dungeon).
That said, you may want to consider making your game slightly more outdoorsy oriented than your typical D&D campaign, with exploration of the wilderness as prominent (or moreso) than dungeoneering. Hex mapping your wilderness with a freeware program such as Arr-Kelaan Software's Hexmapper is a good start, as you can populate a hex with an interesting preplanned encounter, just as you would a dungeon room. Exploration is a big part of D&D, and it will play up the usefulness of any druids or rangers the party has (particularly common in the Moonshaes).
If you have a low level druid PC, consider giving them a scruffy, overgrown grove to tend, a small place in the druidic circle of the isles, and some responsibilities. As a DM, this provides easy leverage for some adventure hooks, lends the campaign a Moonshae flavour, and also gives the druid player some opportunity for intangible rewards as their position and power in the circle grows. FR2 also details the heightened importance and respect of bards in Moonshae society and the difficulties of being a wizard or sorceror.
Finally, this is the Forgotten Realms, fireside tales and songs beneath the stars and cameraderie amongst adventuring friends shouldn't be forgotten. I refer you to the appendix of Halls of the High King for reference on such customs.
Start small, but if you choose to expand, here are some things you can throw into such a campaign:
* Malar and the People of the Black Blood make excellent Moonshae villains, because they work directly against the balance and the Earthmother.
* Related to that, lycanthropes of any sort make for good celtic themed plots. Perhaps the Pack are being turned into wolfweres, or the PCs are sent on a quest to find components to cure a rare strain of lycanthropy which the local king or cantrev lord has been infected with.
* Shadow druids are also excellent opponents with their genocidal ways against the ffolk and northmen, and might begin to infiltrate the druidic circle of the Isles.
* Northman raids, or a quest for their help against pirates, perhaps. Maybe an irrepressible Northman barbarian with diplomatic immunity and a personality like Conan or Marfeldt (from Blackmoor) has been stirring up trouble, and the PCs are requested to deal with the chaotic soul before he does too much damage, one way or another.
* A visit to the mostly-underwater-but-occasionally-surfacing fairytale castle, Caer Allyson.
* For a party with a bard, a quest for an instrument of the bards, or an invitation to winter with a noble or minor lord and entertain (much honour to be gained, stir in intrigue and adventure to taste) as the bard's reputation increases.
* A threat to a moonwell, or to the land (the goddess's body) itself - always a good standby.
* A quest to the fabled Castle of Bones.
* A raid on a firbolg steading, or a quest on their behalf to bring back an artifact of their god (recently released from a glacier, as I understand it).
Good luck with your campaign...
That said, you may want to consider making your game slightly more outdoorsy oriented than your typical D&D campaign, with exploration of the wilderness as prominent (or moreso) than dungeoneering. Hex mapping your wilderness with a freeware program such as Arr-Kelaan Software's Hexmapper is a good start, as you can populate a hex with an interesting preplanned encounter, just as you would a dungeon room. Exploration is a big part of D&D, and it will play up the usefulness of any druids or rangers the party has (particularly common in the Moonshaes).
If you have a low level druid PC, consider giving them a scruffy, overgrown grove to tend, a small place in the druidic circle of the isles, and some responsibilities. As a DM, this provides easy leverage for some adventure hooks, lends the campaign a Moonshae flavour, and also gives the druid player some opportunity for intangible rewards as their position and power in the circle grows. FR2 also details the heightened importance and respect of bards in Moonshae society and the difficulties of being a wizard or sorceror.
Finally, this is the Forgotten Realms, fireside tales and songs beneath the stars and cameraderie amongst adventuring friends shouldn't be forgotten. I refer you to the appendix of Halls of the High King for reference on such customs.
Start small, but if you choose to expand, here are some things you can throw into such a campaign:
* Malar and the People of the Black Blood make excellent Moonshae villains, because they work directly against the balance and the Earthmother.
* Related to that, lycanthropes of any sort make for good celtic themed plots. Perhaps the Pack are being turned into wolfweres, or the PCs are sent on a quest to find components to cure a rare strain of lycanthropy which the local king or cantrev lord has been infected with.
* Shadow druids are also excellent opponents with their genocidal ways against the ffolk and northmen, and might begin to infiltrate the druidic circle of the Isles.
* Northman raids, or a quest for their help against pirates, perhaps. Maybe an irrepressible Northman barbarian with diplomatic immunity and a personality like Conan or Marfeldt (from Blackmoor) has been stirring up trouble, and the PCs are requested to deal with the chaotic soul before he does too much damage, one way or another.
* A visit to the mostly-underwater-but-occasionally-surfacing fairytale castle, Caer Allyson.
* For a party with a bard, a quest for an instrument of the bards, or an invitation to winter with a noble or minor lord and entertain (much honour to be gained, stir in intrigue and adventure to taste) as the bard's reputation increases.
* A threat to a moonwell, or to the land (the goddess's body) itself - always a good standby.
* A quest to the fabled Castle of Bones.
* A raid on a firbolg steading, or a quest on their behalf to bring back an artifact of their god (recently released from a glacier, as I understand it).
Good luck with your campaign...
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