How to Make a Sandbox Fantasy

Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................... 4
Sandbox Campaigns ............................................... 4
How to Make a Fantasy Sandbox ............................. 5
The Process ........................................................... 5
The Isle of Pyade .................................................... 6
The Process in Detail ......................................................... 7
Sketching the World ............................................... 7
Air Circulation ............................................ 7
Monsoons ................................................... 8
Ocean Currents .......................................... 8
Example ....................................................10
History and the Main Campaign Region .................13
The Eainians .............................................15
The Dark Empire .......................................16
The Eainian Empire ...................................17
The Present ...............................................17
The Campaign Map ................................................20
Drainage ....................................................22
Creatures and the Human Landscape .....................25
Placing Settlements ...................................26
Placing Locales and Naming Geography ..................28
Regional Background and History ..........................31
Describing the Geography ......................................34
Isle of Pyade, Terrain .................................34
Designing the Descriptions ........................37
Describing Lairs, Locales, and Ruins ......................39
Isle of Pyade, Lairs, Locales, and Ruins ......39
Designing the Descriptions ........................43
Creating Plots .......................................................45
Fortress of the Lich Lord ...........................45
The Threat of the Sahuagin ........................46
The Empire of Po .......................................47
The Baron and the Sheriff ..........................47
The Dwarves of Southpoint ........................47
The Role of Plot .........................................48
Locale Encounters .................................................49
Locale Encounters .....................................49
General Encounters ...............................................52
Map Important Locales ..........................................54
0105 Hawth (village) Dwarf ........................54
0204 Sandpoint (village) Halfling ................56
0403 Datha (hamlet) Human ......................58
0404 Carra (hamlet) Human .......................60
0504 Kathi (village) Human ........................62
The Home Base .....................................................64
Home Base Demographics......................................71
Fleshing out the Home Base ..................................74
The Detailed List of Shops .........................74
Creating Shops ..........................................75
The Shops of Mikva ...................................77
Shop Descriptions of Mikva ...................................77
1) Chandler................................................77
2) Finesmith ..............................................78
3) Finesmith ..............................................78
4) Herbalist ...............................................79
5) Jeweler..................................................79
6) Jeweler..................................................80
7) The Leathercrafters of Pyade ..................80
8) The King’s Sheriff ..................................81
9) Mikva Trading Hall.................................82
10) Ostler ..................................................83
11) Temple of Veritas .................................83
12) Sea Brethren Hall .................................84
13) Resident Mage .....................................85
14) Potion Shop .........................................85
15) The Tailor’s Guild ................................86
16) The Red Wench (tavern) .......................86
17) The House of Fish (tavern) ...................86
18) The Oaken House (inn) .........................87
19) Weaponsmith .......................................87
20) The Weavers of Pyade...........................87
Final Town Map of Mikva .......................................89
Final Town Map .........................................89
Placing the Buildings .................................89
Creating NPCs and Monsters ..................................92
Amur Forest ..............................................92
Bay of the Dead .........................................93
East Bay ....................................................93
North Downs..............................................94
South Bay .................................................94
South Downs .............................................94
The Midland Sea ........................................94
The Sands .................................................95
West Fen ...................................................95
0105 The Village of Hawth .........................96
0201 Spies ................................................96
0203 Barrows ............................................96
0204 Sandpoint .........................................97
0401 Aventis .............................................97
0402 Sableport ..........................................97
0403 Mikva ...............................................98
0403 Datha ...............................................98
0404 Carra ................................................98
0504 Kathi ................................................99
0505 Sahaugin Outpost..............................99
 Important NPCs .................................................. 101
What to Detail? ....................................... 101
The NPCs of Pyade ................................... 102
Descriptions ............................................ 103
The Barony of Pyade ................................ 103
The Thieves of Pyade ............................... 106
Dangerous Foes ....................................... 107
Rumors and Random Encounters ......................... 113
Rumors ................................................... 113
Random Encounters ................................ 114
Wrapping it up. ................................................... 117
Appendices ..................................................................... 118
Links to Resources .............................................. 118
Mapping with Hexes ............................................ 120
Hex Grids ................................................ 120
Joining Maps ........................................... 121
Numbering Hexes ..................................... 125
Submaps ................................................. 126
Wrapping it up ......................................... 128
How I made Blackmarsh ...................................... 129
Traveling ............................................................ 132
Types of Travel ........................................ 132
Generating Encounters ............................ 132
Rulings not Rules .................................... 133
Placing Encounters .................................. 135
Exhaustion .............................................. 136
Encounters ......................................................... 137
Journeys ................................................. 137
Voyages ................................................... 141
Trips ....................................................... 143