Back to Basics

The boys have been asking when we're going to play D&D again so I have spent the last week thinking through a setting for the campaign. I've been heavily influenced by Jeff Reints' blog and the sandbox campaign ideas therein that I have gone back through his blog and read the whole thing from 2004 forward.

Lately I have had some of the same feelings that he was having a few years ago. Namely that even though I like a lot of the published gameworlds, Greyhawk, the Known World, etc. that at this point in my gaming life I really should be using my own creation, not someone else's.

So I have begun mapping out my own wilderness sandbox. I dug out some homemade maps I drew up on hex paper years ago and looked them over but I feel like I need a totally fresh start, so I am doing one from scratch. That said I am intrigued by the idea of using a real-world map (suitably modified) courtesy of google maps or something similar. Further reflection on this has led me to a decision to include one of my long time pet campaign ideas. I will share some details as it develops as I don't think the boys will be reading this blog.