Splatbook*

Identify your points of interest, including…

  • … any landmark that has not yet been seen in play (or that has changed since the PCs' last visit);
  • … any specific places where you plan to frame a scene and make a GM move; and...
  • … the journey's destination.

Then identify the legs of travel between each point of interest. Note how long the leg will likely take.

For each leg of travel or point of interest, make a few notes:

  • A brief description, no more than a sentence.
  • 2-3 impressions, ideally hitting senses other than visual.
  • Some questions you want to ask of the players.
  • Any challenges (from Chart a Course) that you plan to introduce there.
  • Any other dangers or discoveries you expect to be encountered there.

For regions or locations described in Book II, you can either copy the relevant details or just add a page reference to your notes (and maybe bookmark the page). Feel free to add questions or other details of your own devising!

Prepare up to 7 potential encounters dangers, discoveries, or events that you can drop into the journey in response to a player move or just to break things up. Use the region's dangers and discoveries in Book II for guidance and inspiration.

For each encounter, limit yourself to 1-3 sentences but try to tie them into a larger story. For creatures, include a disposition or activity—what are they up to and how are they likely to react to the characters? For any encounter, use it to show the characters (and more importantly, the players) the bigger picture. For example, don't just have

them encounter a random hagr; have them encounter a hagr who is sullenly building a new home for itself because the Mother of Spiders and her brood chased it out of its old home.

Consider making a Die of Fate table for the weather, for events while they Make Camp, or for encounters they might have while traveling through a perilous area.

Create each site, danger, discovery, and NPC they are likely to encounter, in as much or as little detail as you feel valuable and appropriate.

Finally, write up any followers or other NPCs that you expect to join the party.

Let's think back to the first adventure. Crinwin (in service to a hypnotic, childcollecting swyn) are going to abduct Pryder. Rheinal, Pryder's father, will stagger back into town, injured and covered in crinwin blood. I expect the PCs to track the crinwin and try to rescue Pryder.

I Chart a Course in advance, writing down these requirements:

  • O You must first travel to the scene of Pryder's abduction, and follow the tracks from there
  • O You'll need to bring a decent tracker
  • O It'll probably take at least a day there and back, maybe more
  • O You risk getting lost (losing the trail)
  • O You'll need to watch out for crinwin (obviously) and other dangers of the Wood like nailadd, feathered drakes, and Fae
  • O You risk drawing the attention of crinwin

Next, I zoom in a little on the "Vicinity" map and expand it a little, showing the path that the crinwin took and the nearby landmarks (the Red Grove).

I list my points of interest and legs of travel:

  • * The Stream. It'll be the first time they cross the Stream in play. I note its page number in the almanac and skim it.

  • * The Great Wood (~1 hour). This will be the first time exploring the Wood in play. I crib impressions and questions from the almanac, and add "What sign of a warm, early spring do you notice?"

  • * Scene of Pryder's abduction. I jot down some impressions ("Blood on the stone that hit Rheinal" and "Pryder's crinwin-charm, discarded in the brush"). I'll ad-lib any investigation that they do, but this is where they'll find the trail.

  • * Following the trail (~5 hours). More travel through the Great Wood. They risk getting lost here. They'll pass by the Red Grove, so I skim the entry in Book II*, but I doubt they'll go there.*

  • * Camp site. Not a specific location, but they'll need to Make Camp. I'll play the location by ear, but they'll need to watch out for crinwin or other dangers.

  • * More trail (4-5 hours). I'll ask some questions like "What's the worst part of hiking through the forest?" and "What do you find yourself missing from home?"

  • * Old Crinwin Nest. Like a giant wasp hive, torn apart by crinwin under Sajra's sway; signs of crinwin killing each other.

  • * More trail (4-5 hours). They're getting closer, so they risk drawing attention of crinwin as they travel.

  • * The Swyn's Lair. An old Green Lord barrow. I'll work this up as a fullfledged site for them to explore.

For possible encounters, I review the Great Wood entry in Book II and come up with:

  • * Three feathered drakes roaming the area, hunting deer & wisents; catch the PCs' scent and think they look slow and tasty.
  • * The crinwin that Rheinal wounded, dead and abandoned by the others.
  • * A grumpy Fae named Thornthumb; kicked out of the Maker-tomb by (and lost his hoard to) the swyn; tries to steal from PCs; willing to help against swyn but will ultimately swindle/betray them.
  • * An old Maker-ruin just off the tracks; old Forest Folk glyphs on trees/rocks nearby; half-dozen crinwin are excavating it on Sajra's behalf
  • * Crinwin, loyal to Sajra the Swyn, on patrol or keeping watch.

I put sticky flags in Book II by the entries for feathered drakes, crinwin, nailadd, and swyn. I write up Thornthumb using the steps for "Creating Fae" (Book II).

I create the swyn's lair as a site Sites and make notes about the abandoned crinwin nest and the older Maker-ruins. I pick dangers and discoveries for each.

I make notes on portraying NPCs (Rheinal, Pryder, Wynfor, etc.). Rheinal might join the PCs, and he'll take orders, so I write him up as a follower.

I'm ready to go.