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On the farthest borders of the Known World, the village of Hope stands as the last bastion of civilization before the rugged forests, mountains, and swamps of the Savage Frontier.

At the edge of the world, the wilderness teems with monsters of all kinds - from great dragons to scheming necromancers to roving bands of savage humanoids who worship the ideals of evil and chaos.

Far more than just a frontier mining town, Hope has become a hotbed for would-be adventurers to test their mettle against the elements. With ancient ruins, sunken temples, unfathomably deep cave complexes, and lost groves to explore, what treasures might be fetched back by those brave enough to take them?

Take up your weapon, gather your companions, and see what the Savage Frontier holds for you!

Master Map 3 — Map may or may not be accurate.

What is West Marches?[]

You might be wondering what makes a West Marches D&D game different to your standard D&D game.

In many ways, the West Marches is both a harkening back to the old-school roots of D&D and a relatively recent development. Popularized in the 00s, West Marches describes a campaign in which multiple players explore a large, sandbox world free from the strict storytelling structures that are more common in the modern game.

West Marches campaigns can support anywhere from 10 - 50 players, with each player having a character that they send out on adventures or missions. These 'missions' are conducted in groups of 3-6 and arranged entirely by the players. They decide on the time (within the DM's schedule), the group composition, and what it is they're setting out to do.

Perhaps you've an interest in the goblin camp in the hills east of town or you've heard tell of a great treasure buried in a crypt to the north. Whatever the choice, you'll decide on a group, name the time, and I (the DM) will then arrange the rest. Perhaps you'll find what you are looking for or perhaps you'll get lost along the way and blunder onto something else - whatever happens, it's an adventure, and it expands your knowledge of the world - opening up new possibilities.

The Group[]

The group is comprised of the player pool, the character roster, and individual mission parties.

The player pool is the collection of players participating in the campaign. These players may play three times a week or once a month, but they're all a part of the campaign.

The character roster are the various characters created by the players. Characters advance independent of one another, meaning you could have some level 3 or 4 characters as well as level 1. Read more about Character Creation.

Mission parties are comprised of players and their characters, usually in groups of 3-6. These are the groups that head out into the wilderness to try their hand at finding fame and fortune. Mission parties may exist for a single session or for several sessions of extended exploration, but these characters remain out in the wilderness until they opt to return to town.

View a full list of completed quests.

The Town & the Wilderness[]

The world of the Savage Frontier can be divided into two parts: the town and the wilderness.

The town (Hope) is the last bastion of civilization in savage lands. The town is a safe space, free from the perils that exist beyond its walls.

It is also a boring space. There is no adventure to be had here, nor will you find fame or fortune within its walls.

To the east lies civilization, safety, and boredom. To the west, south, and north lie the unknown, and it is here that adventures are had.

The wilderness is a vast and ever-changing thing. It is comprised of swamps, forests, mountains, deserts, oceans, dungeons, tundra, and so much more. The wilderness can be roughly divided into individual regions, each of which has its own environment, inhabitants, mysteries, and dungeons,. Regions are generally set to a certain level range, with danger increasing the farther you get from civilization.

In addition, there are dungeons in the wilderness. These tend to be more dangerous than the wildernesses they exist within, but also boast the lion's share of treasure.

Mapping the Wilderness[]

There is no map in a West Marches campaign save the one that players themselves draw. While the DM has a large map of the entire world, this is never shared with players, nor will corrections be made to the player map.

The map is created collaboratively, with individual players adding to or correcting the map over time. Mistakes are a natural part in this process, as cartography is a difficult skill to master and subject to the observations and remembrances of those traveling.

Exploration[]

Exploration is a key part of a West Marches game, as you are adventurers wandering a vast and unmapped wilderness.

As such, a West Marches game has a focus on the rigors of travel. To simulate this, we have a number of House Rules in place.

Characters will be expected to eat sufficient food, drink enough water, have warm shelter each night, and handle the various environmental effects that exist - including temperature, weather, hygiene, disease, and - of course - the monsters that call the wilderness home.

Players can forage for food and water, survey the land to figure out what manner of creatures might call it home, track, harvest valuable components from slain foes, scour the horizon for landmarks etc. What you do while traveling is limited only by your imagination and the boundaries of the world.

Much like Tomb of Annihilation, the exploration pillar is a core part of the experience and cannot be hand-waved with class traits or 'fast travel'.

But What About Story?[]

Without a central storyline such as a Curse of Death or slaying Strahd, what drives a West Marches game?

In short: the players and the world.

Just because there is not a pre-ordained narrative does not mean that the world is barren and devoid of plot. There is a rich history to be unearthed from the ruins and dungeons of the Savage Frontier, just as there are villains aplenty to be found and put down.

What drives your player to venture to the Savage Frontier will help decide what kind of adventures they choose to pursue. A noble paladin devoted to scouring the undead might push to investigate the crypt another group has marked on the map, while the treasure hungry rogue might share the same destination but have an entirely different reason.

As you explore the map and uncover new regions and new landmarks, you also uncover new sites that might be of interest. Perhaps you find a volcano lair that is guarded by fire giants. This is too difficult for your level 3 party, but the level 7 characters back in town might be interested in it.

Put simply, you and your characters develop their own stories as they discover and engage with the inhabitants and history of the Savage Frontier.

New Mechanics[]

There is no world map save the one drawn and maintained by players.
The session summaries are written by the characters who participated in adventures, with no corrections from the DM. Take notes!
The game is played in 'tiers' (1-4, 5-10, 11-15, and 16-20). Characters that die start at the bottom of their current tier.
Experience is awarded for combat, roleplay, making discoveries (such as exploring a new ruin or learning the name of a major villain), and writing session summaries.
The campaign will be using a number of additional rules including gritty realism rests, a healer's kit dependency for short rests, and modified rules for death. These will be fleshed out in a subsequent post.

In Summary[]

A West Marches campaign offers you a vast world to explore at a pace that works for your schedule. It offers immense room for character development and fulfilling your own character's narrative, but it is not a tailored experience.

The world exists and cares not for your dead parents or your desire to become a great wizard. A dungeon you visited last month may have been occupied by other creatures since you last visited, or the treasure you left behind might have been stolen and taken elsewhere.

In the town lies safety, but the wilderness beyond is rich with mystery, danger, and treasure.

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