Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Fred's World: An Original Campaign From One of D&D's First Playtesters


Fred Funk, was one of Dave Arneson's original players in his legendary Blackmoor group. One of Fred's characters in Blackmoor was Funk I, King of all Orcs, and he is attributed with the creation of the Orcian Way. Sadly, Fred Funk, passed away back in 2011 at the age of 60, but fortunately his legacy remains.

Although Fred's campaign world started in the early 70's, around 1989, Fred had several of his players put together some of his materials to act as a sort of campaign guide. His campaign setting is brimming with old school gaming the way it used to be, and something many of his dedicated fans have been more than happy to share with the rest of us.


From the Campaign Guide's Introduction:

"And Now - The Campaign


You are standing on a hill overlooking the entrance to a large walled city. Off to your right you see a crystal blue lake, in the center of which stands a prominent castle flying a grey flag with white trim. On the flag you see two ruby red infinity symbols surrounding an equally red lightning bolt. You can sense a great deal of power emanating from this castle.

Your attention is drawn back to the city when the gates fly open. Through them you see a poor, wretched peasant racing down the street. He is glowing vibrant purple. “No!! No!! Not me!!” you hear him scream. “I didn’t do it!! I didn...” His cries are cut short, thanks to the archers on the wall. Not one inch of his body is penetrated with fewer than six arrows. But his falling body never hits the ground. Instead, it disappears with a thunderclap, leaving only a charred crater where it once had been. You now notice a figure standing on (or should I say, about a foot above) the wall. He is blowing a slight halo of smoke from his finger. As he places his hand back in the pocket of his robe, a voice booms “Ethelbert: 30,003, peasants: 0.”

You decide to proceed towards the city, though you feel quite apprehensive about it. When you begin to move, you notice a large shadow following you. Glancing skyward, you see a large golden dragon descending to meet you at the gates. When you reach the gates, he hands you a map and a single sheet of paper upon which is written:



And with that, you are set forth on your adventures into a campaign unlike many others. It is our hope that you enjoy this free offering for many game sessions to come.


You can join Fred's World on Facebook for up to date information and shared stories from other players and DM's.



We would like to give a special thanks to, Glenn Kurkosky, for contacting us here at Portcullis and sharing this fantastic campaign setting with us. Much appreciated, Glenn!

No comments:

Post a Comment