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Dark Below Intro

Introduction to “The Dark Below: A West Marches Campaign”

Alright, I feel inclined to write about a project I’ve been working on for the last 6 months. Together with Noah(flimfam94) and John(MrTibbs) we’ve been putting together a new “west marches” campaign system for use with World’s Without Number.

Rather then explain west marches here, I’ll link to the blog for the eponymous campaign - Here.

Our Objectives

Running Standard WWN Adventures in a Bustling Community

Our campaign integrates traditional Worlds Without Number (WWN) adventures with a vibrant Discord community and comprehensive systems for downtime, factions, and settlements. Here’s how we structure this unique blend:

1. Standard WWN Adventures

  • Utilize core WWN ruleset for adventure design and gameplay
  • The Ability to adapt published modules and create custom scenarios to fit our campaign world
  • Balance combat, exploration, and social encounters to cater to diverse player interests with an OSR vibe.

2. Discord Community Integration

  • Active Discord server for out-of-game communication and roleplay
  • Dedicated channels for quest boards, rumors, and inter-session activities
  • Community events and collaborative storytelling opportunities

3. Robust Downtime System

  • Detailed downtime activities allowing character progression between sessions
  • Skill-based tasks for earning income, crafting, and personal projects
  • Integration of downtime results into the evolving campaign narrative

4. Faction Management

  • Player-created factions with unique goals and territories
  • Inter-faction diplomacy, alliances, and conflicts
  • Faction-specific quests and storylines influencing the game world

5. Settlement Development

  • Progressive settlement growth from outposts to cities
  • Resource management and allocation for settlement improvements
  • Settlement-based adventures and economic gameplay

6. Foundry Implementation

  • One shared tabletop world
  • An immersive “Town and market” experience.
  • Robust mod support for automating as much as possible on the GM side.

By combining these elements, we hope to create a rich, player-driven campaign experience that extends beyond individual gaming sessions, fostering a sense of continuous engagement and world-building within our bustling community.

Over the next couple weeks I’ll talk about our systems and what we’ve done to accommodate 50+ players while attempting to maintain our sanity and preventing burnout.

In the meantime, checkout https://dark-below.io/ for more information on the campaign and how to join.