# Astoria World Map ![[World Map of Astoria 10-23-2024.jpg]] | Table of Contents | | | -------------------- | -------------------------- | | [[FAQ]] | [[Ongoing Campaigns]] | | [[House Rules]] | [[History & Major Events]] | | [[Inspiration List]] | [[The World of Astoria]] | Play is focused on several islands spread around a mainland continent. Each island is considered a self contained campaign in a sandbox style. A character's entire life can be enjoyed on a single island. Player's who maintain a single character in the world over many sessions will find that character becoming a larger part of the world. The world is designed to facilitate interaction between the player and itself. Clever interaction with the lore of the world will often result in miracle-like events occurring. On a more granular scale, conflicts are designed to reward player creativity. This is a world where you can seduce the dragon, fly on a magic carpet, and become a mutated abomination. It is a sandbox world, and as such there may not always be a pressing concern, or a DM instigated hook at any given time, perhaps never. This is a world in which the players have the agency. The story we want to explore is the story of your character, and the story of how that character changes the world, as they are changed by it. However, there are quests in the world, dozens, if not hundreds to explore. For this reason we do recommend each character have a motivation, we usually recommend money. This is NOT meant to be a tightly balanced game as far as conflict and resolution are concerned. Some characters will be stronger than others, some will be born weak. The world may be more dangerous than you are, you may realize too late. You may defeat the BBEG in a single hit because you rolled a natural 20 and scored a meaty critical hit. You may defeat them in a single hit because you distilled and inserted liquid sunlight in to a vampire's veins, who are we to stop you. This is a world with a grim dark inspiration. Good and evil are not important concepts in this world. The meta alignment conversation is oriented around order and chaos. You are welcome to see your character as good, or evil, of course, but that is not an axiom of this world. We play a variety of systems, and are currently play Old School Essentials, or OSE for short. OSE is a clone of the 1981 basic edition of Dungeons & Dragons. It has been reformatted for readability, to remove THAC0, and to provide several semi-official house rules that have been developed over the years. If old school systems scare you, don't let this one. We have introduced dozens of brand new players to D&D at this table, some of whom have never even played a video game RPG. # Islands available to begin as new campaigns: *[[Frostfire Isles]]* *[[Shadowrest Island]]* *[[Lumeris Island]]* *[[Mistveil Isle]]* *[[Velithar Island]]* *[[Scarlet Cay]]* *[[Swifhorn Island]]* *[[Evoncloak Island]]* *[[Radiant Oak Isles]]* *[[Starlit Prominance]]* *[[Silversands Outcrop]]* *[[Emerald Harbor]]* *[[Shadowmoon Isles]]* *[[Kilharbor Pass (Work in Progress)]]*