Tales of the Lunar Lands: The Shrine of the Most Holy Death
Founded as it was by Taldameeri exiles, the culture of Valossa has much in common with that of Taldameer, but influences from the natives of...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Founded as it was by Taldameeri exiles, the culture of Valossa has much in common with that of Taldameer, but influences from the natives of...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The Valossan Islands have been inhabited since time immemorial, with scattered villages and trading posts from mainland powers along the coa...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Of all the holidays in the Lunar Lands, those of the Wheel of the Year - the four solstices and equinoxes, and the four Cross-Quarter Days a...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
I love Halloween. Does anyone not? It's this time of year where the celebration of the spooky spirit comes out in force. Between the changin...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
In a previous post , I mentioned that in keeping with my reluctance to slavishly abide by "canon" D&D lore, I don't presume that the cosmolo...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Following on my previous post, here are some more of the important deities in my setting. Refer to that post for general details. Olmo is ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
We've talked enough about theory in the last few posts. It's time for another setting post - and today, I'm going to be talking about the pa...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Or: what happens when you learn about German holidays from anime In the 1e Oriental Adventures sourcebook, the author recommends keeping...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
This encounter definitely isn't for everyone, and that's okay. It introduces elements of science fiction into the campaign, which might work in a setting that trends more gonzo or isn't afraid to mix genres, but would probably be about as jarring as a brick to the face in a campaign with a more mythic or purely fantastic tone. But the beauty of D&D, as I've outlined before, is that it can do both - and my recent discussions on sci-fi put it in my head. This isn't an encounter I would use in m...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Don't ask why. Ask why not.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Just a quick worldbuilding post today on the calendar system I use for my main campaign setting. The idea is to create something flavorful a...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
To round out myposts statting up magic items from the first two Dragon Quest games for The Saga of the Ortegids, here's a few magic items from Dragon Quest III.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
This encounter could be used in a dungeon, at a site in the wilderness, or maybe even in a town - preferably in some run-down house tucked away in a dark alley out of sight. You may want to plant rumors in the surrounding areas of strange robed figures gathering and chanting heard in the vicinity if you wish to lead your players to investigate.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Continuing off my last post, here's a few more magic items for The Saga of the Ortegids, each based off items that debuted in Dragon Quest II. Stay tuned for the conclusion to the trilogy next week.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
The original Dragon Quest doesn't have a lot of notable magic items, but there's definitely enough for us to work with - and what's there is iconic enough to frequently show up in later games. Here's a few magic items for The Saga of the Ortegids - they may also work in other campaigns.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Now that I've finished documenting every major location in the original Dragon Quest trilogy for The Saga of the Ortegids, my next priority is going to be statting up a few magic items from the games. I've used them plenty of times in my campaigns, but it's high time I got something written down somewhere. I'm going to make a series of posts detailing some key items from each of the first three games, but I think it warrants a separate post for the Arms of Erdrick - the equipment used...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
As ridiculous as this will sound, this idea came to me in a dream. It was really just a minor detail of a dream I had the other night, but i...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
In my experiences with the DMing sphere online, there's one question I see being asked time and time again. "How do I make overland travel i...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Art by Zara Alfonso| Tales of the Lunar Lands
If you've been following my blog, I don't think it should be any surprise to you that I love backgrounds. They're one of the best ideas 5e ever had, offering customization options for characters that add flavor, and most of the features are narrative-focused, opening up new avenues for characters to explore and interact with the world rather than just giving them mathematical bonuses. That being said, I do think that there's room for background features to introduce mechanics of their...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
This encounter can be used anywhere outdoors, but probably has the most potential in a wilderness environment relatively close to civilizati...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Of all the locations in Dragon Quest III , Dharma Abbey is the one most tied to in-game mechanics. It's here that you unlock the ability to...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
You probably didn't need me to figure this out, but Isis is the stand-in for ancient Egypt in Dragon Quest III 's overworld. It's located i...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The Saga of the Ortegids is intended as a dialed setting - that is, there are several main streams of inspiration behind it that influence ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
It's been a while since I last posted anything to this blog - not by my own will. Moving and starting a new job has taken up a lot of my tim...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
My default setting, as it were, for The Saga of the Ortegids would ground the action many generations after the events of Dragon Quest II - enough time for the setting to be a blank slate for the DM to run as they pleased, without needing to worry about canon characters or events impacting their plans, and for it to make sense that the Worldtree would have grown to the point where travel between Erdland and Torland would be possible in order to make full use of the material and its potentia...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
By this point, our investigation into the setting of The Saga of the Ortegids has covered every region present in the original NES Dragon Q...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
I've posted a fair amount on this blog about the Dragon Quest series, and in particular Dragon Quest III , a game that I grew up with and ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
This entry is somewhat of a sequel to my previous post on 20 Encounters from Dragon Quest III . Thinking more on that post, I realized I cou...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Following on the same format from my Erdland maps, now that we've completed our look at Torland, we can now present a complete map of my interpretation of the inner world for The Saga of the Ortegids.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Here's a simple two-room puzzle designed to be slotted into a larger dungeon. This one is based on Archimedes's principle that an object displaces water equal to its mass, and attempts to simplify these physics for the sake of gameplay. Keep in mind that the intended solution to this puzzle may not be obvious unless your players are familiar with the theorem, although there are alternative solutions as well.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
The setting for the climactic confrontation of Dragon Quest II is Rhone, a highland region in the center of Torland's Southern Continent under the control of Hargon, high priest of a cult that worships Malroth, the god of chaos and destruction. There's a few things that make this area unique and interesting, and they deserve a closer look - in no small part because they raise questions that might elucidate further worldbuilding in The Saga of the Ortegids.Rhone appears to be cotermino...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
The southwestern corner of Dragon Quest II's overworld features a large island off the coast of Tuhn, on which is the city of Beran. There's no major quests or dungeons here, but it is an evocative area that deserves a closer look for The Saga of the Ortegids.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
South of Moonbrooke and the Lianport region, the Southern Continent of Dragon Quest II 's overworld is highly mountainous. The central reg...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The setting of the Erdrick Trilogy has some very interesting worldbuilding implications. Not all of them were intentional - some appear to h...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
It does not feel this massive when you're walking around. After leaving Aliahan , the first place you go in Dragon Quest III is the city of...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The city of Ashalam is Dragon Quest III 's stand-in for the Middle East as a whole, and while there are no major quests there, it's one of ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The Kingdom of Aliahan is the starting area of Dragon Quest III , and consequently chronologically where the Erdrick Trilogy begins. It's o...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Know, O prince, that between the years of the fall of the Sons of Aliahan, and the years when the moonless sky drank the Great Pit of Giaga,...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Musings on Tabletop RPGs, Pop Culture, Perytons, and Other Nonsense| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
This encounter could work either in the wilderness or in a dungeon - really, anything far enough removed from civilization. The PCs come acr...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
This encounter is designed to challenge your players' expectations of morality and social expectations in a setting that may have different worldviews from their own. In that way, it's well-suited to a non-Flintstonist campaign, as a way to introduce players to the concept that people in a medieval fantasy world might see things differently than they see things today - especially with players who are new to the idea of leaving their preconceived notions at the door when approaching the camp...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Wellgarth is one of the more unique towns in Dragon Quest II. Located in the southern peninsula of the Southern Continent, just across the sea from the Southern Archipelago, the majority of the town is located underground. Why this is is never really explained. It's far away from any other settlement, and none of the townspeople comment on the unusual circumstances of the town. A lot of sources I've found online suggest that the people moved underground to defend against attacks, ...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
So this is probably the single nerdiest thing I've ever done.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
At the tip of the southern continent in the overworld of | Tales of the Lunar Lands
This encounter could be used on the road, in the wilderness, or in a dungeon. If encountered outdoors, it works best at night. If the PCs co...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The middle act of Dragon Quest II follows a structure much the same as its successor. After obtaining a ship, you have free reign of the map and must seek out a series of artifacts - five crests, in this case - in order to access the next area. Probably the simplest of these to obtain is the Moon Crest, which is located in the Kingdom of Dirkandor.Dirkandor is a large island to the south of Lorasia. The only site of interest we see in-game is the capital city, which I am calling Osterfai...| Tales of the Lunar Lands
Much like how Portoga is where you get a ship in Dragon Quest III , significantly opening your venues for exploring the world, the city of ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
At the end of Dragon Quest I , the hero (who, for the purposes of The Saga of the Ortegids , I've given the name Aleph Wyrmbeorn - if you k...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The Kingdom of Alefgard is the only location to make an appearance in all three games of the original Dragon Quest trilogy. Thus, it's a na...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Art by Lindsey Crummet Once again , we're discussing the nature of the divine in the Dragon Quest series. There are two separate occasions ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
By this point, we've covered every notable location from the overworld of Dragon Quest III . This does not mean we've covered every locatio...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Once you get a ship in Portoga , most locations in the overworld of Dragon Quest III are open to exploration, either by sea or via portals....| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
In the world map of Dragon Quest III , the vast area corresponding to sub-Saharan Africa, south of Isis , makes up a rugged, mountainous reg...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The Kingdom of Manoza is the largest polity on the Eastern Continent , taking up much of that landmass's southern half. Much as I did with E...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The inland reaches of the Eastern Continent are dominated by wilderness, with much of the northern half of the continent split by a large r...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Dragon Quest III had to get creative when it came to adapting the Americas to a medieval fantasy world. There's still plenty of historical ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
If we're going to discuss tropes of fantasy maps, the first one that comes to mind is surely a continent with a defined western coast and an...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
After purchasing a ship in Portoga , the overworld of Dragon Quest III opens dramatically. From this point on there are no real road blocks...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The Nine Gods comprise the main pantheon of The Saga of the Ortegids . These are the gods you can expect to be worshiped in any temple in r...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The northern portion of Dragon Quest III 's pseudo-Eurasian continent is dominated by forest. There aren't many dungeons or settlements to b...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Here's the other half of the main pantheon of The Saga of the Ortegids . See here for part 1. Gaius , the Forgemaster, is the god of the su...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Following up from last post , it's high time we began to lay out the pantheon we're working with for The Saga of the Ortegids . For the prim...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Art by chuckcg Religion does not play a very big part in the Erdrick Trilogy. Remember, these games belong to an era where the difference be...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
As any polyglots out there could probably guess, Baharata corresponds to the Indian Subcontinent in the overworld of Dragon Quest III . It'...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
In my opinion, the Kingdom of Portoga is where the History's Greatest Hits nature of Dragon Quest III really shows through. After clearin...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
The settings of the Dragon Quest games tend to be quite humanocentric. Almost all playable characters throughout the series have been human...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
There are a great many islands in the Tennurhaf, ranging from humble sea-stacks to realms in their own right. The largest of them all, howev...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
If the League of Three Crowns could be said to have a capital, that capital would be Hynden . Though nominally a part of Kvesland, and inde...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
In some ways, the League of Three Crowns can be called the preeminent naval power in the Sea of Bartel. The number of trade routes in the s...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Although Sonderlund practices the Old Faith , its Old Faith is a different kind than that observed by the elves or the hillfolk of Vardessy,...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
In ancient times - before the times of great kingdoms - much of the western part of the continent was settled by small and secluded tribal v...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Starting to the southwest of Vardessy and stretching far out into the western ocean, Sonderlund is often described as a land out of time. It...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
