DwD Studios

Stout women. That's something old west entertainment is missing. They're always painted as weak and needing the help of a big strong man, but in reality, women in the old west could wring today's men through the washboard.

Immunis, I like your vision. :-) It's not a requirement to run our provided setting.

This is well thought out, offers a wide range of terrain to explore and has interesting detail such as the difference in farmers.

Looking forward to the PC races.

The races of Beckland

This section contains a short intro to each of the playable races along with their game rules.

Note on the various racial craft skills: This particular use of the scholar skill does not require the PC to take a level of scholar to use. It is intended to represent those skills that are picked up by the character during their life before they chose an adventuring career.

Note on cross breeds: Humans and riverkin can cross breed (though rarely) and the offspring always runs true to the mothers race. No other racial cross breeding has been known.
People of the same race but different varieties can interbreed normally, the half breed child make have some odd colouration but will have the racial benefits of the culture in which they grow up.

Becks

The Becks are the original human settlers and make up about75% of the inhabitants of Beckland. The Becks tend to be the rural inhabitants of the land and hold the lower positions in the society of the land though a few minor barons can trace their bloodlines back to the old Beck lords. The Becks average about 5’ 7” and be of gently tanned skin and red or fair hair typically wavy in nature. They usually have blue, grey or brown eyes. Many Becks can trace back their lineage to the old clans that were named after beasts and monsters.

Becks racial bonuses:
+10 to starting will
+1 Additional descriptor
+10 to all resistance checks
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of profession usually rural)
Move 8 spaces
Speaks Beckish

Ragnar

The Ragnar make up about 15% of the Duchy’s population and make up the majority of the nobility and growing middle class. The Ragnar destroyed the old Becks nobility 200 years previously.
The Ragnar average 5’ 10” in height and are bigger of build and darker of skin than the Becks. They often have long straight black hair and green, brown or violet eyes.

Ragnar racial bonuses:
+10 to starting strength
+1 Additional descriptor
+10 to all resistance checks
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of profession usually urban)
Move 8 spaces
Speaks Beckish and most speak Ragnar (assume that all PC s speak Ragnar and 70% of NPCs speak Ragnar)

Glorren

The Glorren are peaceful immigrants that come from the Glorroc Kingdom to the South of Becks and make up a bare 2% of the Beckland population. Most Glorren are crafters and traders that come from families looking for an escape of local troubles at home. The Glorren average about 5’8” in height and are slightly built, they typically have a pale skin and brown or black hair that can be straight or curly. Their eyes are usually brown, but all other colours are known.

Glorren racial bonuses:
+10 to starting will
+1 Additional descriptor
+10 to all resistance checks
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of profession usually urban)
Move 8 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Glorren

Riverkin

Short at 4’6” and slight of build with pale to tanned skin, straight dark hair and bright eyes, the riverkin are a travelling people that use their boats and carts to go where the seasonal work is. The rest of the Beckland both love the arrival of a Riverkin convoy because of the cheap labour and carnival atmosphere they bring while hating the extra trouble that the miscreants will cause. The greatest trouble makers and thieves in the land are riverkin. Riverkin make up about 5% of the population of Beckland.

Riverkin racial bonuses:
+20 to starting dexterity, -10 to starting strength
Luck (each encounter re-roll one failed check)
Footpad (+10 to any check to hide or sneak)
Preference to light arms (all strength requirements for weapons and armour are 10 points higher)
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of profession usually traveling or entertaining)
Move 7 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Riverkin

Green Elves

Before the Becks came to the peninsular it was populated by villages of Green Elves, they have now retreated to the deepest of forests and are rarely seen by most men. Green elves have an affinity with the woodlands and tales of their misdeeds against travellers have made them more into monsters than men to most Becks. The typical green elf stands 6’2” tall and has a distinct green tinge to their skin, hair and eyes.

Green Elf racial bonuses:
+10 to starting dexterity
Darkvision (12 space vision in low light conditions)
Hunter (+10 to any check to hide or sneak in woodlands)
Magic defence +10 to resist charms and illusions
Spellcaster (No penalty to casting spells while wearing armour)
Preference to light arms (all strength requirements for weapons and armour are 10 points higher)
Woodcraft trained (may use Scholar skill for knowledge of woodcraft)
Move 9 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Elf (few (10%) Green Elves speak Beckish, but it is assumed that any PCs will do)

Dark Elves

Thousands of years ago the Dark Elves ruled the mightiest empire in the known world, but it collapsed into chaos and the Dark Elves have remained a scattered, scarred and strange people ever since. There are only a few hundred dark eleves living in Beckland.
Dark elves are short than their nature twined brothers at 6’ 0” average height. Their skin is grey, running from ash to coal black in tone and their eyes are usually dark in colour as well.

Dark Elf racial bonuses:
+10 to starting logic
Darkvision (12 space vision in low light conditions)
Magic defence +10 to resist charms and illusions
Spellcaster (No penalty to casting spells while wearing armour)
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of profession usually academic)
Move 9 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Elf

Sky Dwarves

Sky dwarves are dwarven clans that learned to live above ground many generations ago when their tunnels were taken by creatures from the deeps. There are villages of dwarves scattered through the mountains of Beckland and a few dwarves in each of the towns. The Sky Dwarves tend to be craftsmen in towns or miners and quarry workers if living in rural areas, but they can adapt to any job and are diligent workers so are often welcome despite their ‘odd manners’.

Sky Dwarf racial bonuses:
+10 to starting strength
Darkvision (12 space vision in low light conditions)
Resistance +10 to resist poison and magic
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of trade)
Move 7 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Dwarf

Low Dwarves

The Low Dwarves live under the land in great tunnel complexes and rarely come out. However occasional convoys of then will be seen walking across the land for trade or diplomatic missions. They always bind their eyes during the bright daylight hours and mix pots of chemicals to guide them in the darkness. A low dwarf tunnel complex can have an exit almost anywhere in Becks by they are always well hidden from the ‘skydwellers’.
Most people on first seeing a low dwarf would assume that they are an albino, but it is just the natural colour of their skin and their brightly glowing eyes can be any colour of the rainbow, not just pink.

Low Dwarf racial bonuses:
+10 to starting strength
Darkvision (20 space vision in low light conditions)
Not used to bright light (-10 to visual checks in bright conditions unless wearing some form of eye gauze)
Resistance +10 to resist poison and magic
Craft trained (may use Scholar skill for one form of trade)
Move 7 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Dwarf (few (5%) Low Dwarves speak Beckish, but it is assumed that any PCs will do)

Marsh Orc

Marsh Orcs are large semi aquatic humanoids whom live in underground tribal dwellings often with underwater entrances and usually within the salt marshes ringing the peninsular. They are large and powerful, but not the cleverest of people. Marsh Orcs are sometimes found hired out as mercenaries and sailors, especially in the coastal regions where their natural swimming ability makes very useful. The marsh orc is typically about 6’ 6” tall and has a skin ranging from drab olive to bunswick green. They are usually hairless excepting a few tuffs of brown hair and have partially webbed hands and feet. Their eyes are big and usually deep brown in colour.

Marsh Orc racial bonuses:
+20 to starting strength, -10 to starting logic
+5 to starting BPs
Infravision (10 space vision to see temperature changes)
Resistance +10 to resist poison
Swimmer, may move through water as if on land, can hold breath and act normally for up to 5 minutes
Marshcraft trained (may use Scholar skill for knowledge of marshlands)
Move 8 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Orc (few (10%) Marsh Orcs speak Beckish, but it is assumed that any PCs will do)

Red Orc

Red orcs are found in small numbers all over the peninsular, they are a warlike race and organised bands of them will travel to Beckland and gather in the autumn fairs to hire on as warriors to the nobility for a year. The main holds of Red Orcs are on the other side of the Dragon mountains so the inhabitants of Beckland have not been plagued by large scale incursions of orcs. The red orc is so named for the colour of its skin that can range from a deep pink through bright scarlets to a deep blood red. They are big and strong by human standards and typically stand at 6’ 4” tall. They usually have a long mane of dark hair and red tinted eyes.

Red Orc racial bonuses:
+20 to starting strength, -10 to starting will
+5 to starting BPs
Infravision (10 space vision to see temperature changes)
Resistance +10 to resist poison
Military Training, Red Orcs fighting side by side get +5 to melee warrior and resistance checks
Move 8 spaces
Speaks Beckish and Orc (about 20% of Red Orcs speak Beckish, but it is assumed that any PCs will do)

Larry, if you see anything I post that you wish to use in an offical product then feel free to nab it and change it to suit your needs.

Immunis (Julian)

DwD Studios needs writers. Feel free to submit material officially and at least get the credit.

This will change massively, but here is an early draft of a Beckland map using the freely available Hexographer software.

As the picture ties directly to the map reference that I upload then it will change as I develop my ideas automatically, cool.

Gotta love Hexographer. Looking forward to watching this develop.

+1

I'm making a start on the gods and religions of Beckland now:

The gods of the dwarves
The dwarves only have one god and he is Magmon, anything that is under the ground is his and anything above ground is not his. They also have a worship of favoured ancestors that have become a pantheon of saints, helpers to both God and living dwarf. Despite this common base, there is a massive difference of style of worship between the Low dwarves and the Sky dwarves.

To the low dwarves the worship is very much biased towards Magmon and great temples are raised to his name, while the saints have small chapels within Magmons temples. To the sky dwarves then the worship is more directed at the ancestor saints and the shrines to Magmon tend to be small and simple places (though they are always underground).

Low dwarves have an additional fear of above ground because it is godless and dying their will cut their souls from heaven. All dwarves go underground once per day to pray if possible and low dwarves have been known to bury each other alive for short periods to allow this to happen.

The dwarven priesthood is an old and very traditional structure. Dwarven priests can have divination as one of their selected spells and will use an axe or hammer as their smite weapon.

The gods of the orcs
The orcs of Beckland have four gods, these are Mother Sea, Father Land, Sister Life and Brother Death. The points at which the gods meet is of great religious significance to the orcs and consider that the places where sea and land meet are the union of Mother Sea and Father Land, while the act of birth and death is sacred as it bonds brother and sister.

The orcs don't have an afterlife as such but a cycle of life to spirit to life ongoing. When an orc dies, their spirit goes to a place that was important to them in life and it stays in that area in the spirit realm until it is called back to be a new orc (or sometimes another form of life). To the orcs therefore, death is not a tragic end so much as the next step of the never-ending journey. This does not mean that an orc will throw their life away or that death does not bring sorrow, but that orcs will move on from such a loss more rapidly than most. It also means that sometimes a non-orc is believed to have an orc spirit in their body and so will be treated as kin whether they want such an honour or not. The race of the non-orc is not of issue in these cases and there are tales of trees and dolphins being treated as orc kin.

The priesthood of the four orc gods is relatively informal and relies on each priest picking and training their own acolytes, most orc nests have a couple of priests and a handful of acolytes. Orc clerics can use the commune spell (new magic rules to be written) to speak with the spirit world. Most orc clerics favour the spear as their smite weapon and their spears tend to be highly decorated.

To follow soon, the rest of the gods...

Quick interlude piece, the Bard skill class

The Bard
Skill value is Will / 2 + 10 per bard level -5 per DR level of armour worn
All bards will have a musical instrument of choice.

Skills
The bard must be free to move and speak or sing to use their skills.
Aid - a successful bard skill test can remove 1 negative condition from level x level allies.
Charm - the bard can charm opponents as per the spellcaster spell, but only in a non-combat situation.
Duellist - the bard can select a single one handed weapon with a strength requirement of 50 or less. When using that weapon type without a shield, they can use their bard skill rather than their warrior skill.
Entertainer - the bard is welcome in many places as a bringer of entertainment and news, unless they have previously had bad relations in a town or castle then the bard is always welcome at the local lord's home.

D00Lite is designed to apply broad brushstrokes to pretty much everything. This includes skills. If you look at each of the skills, you will note that they are very broad, but very focused upon a particular aspect of the concept. Where you have "charm", "duelist", and "entertainer", the BBF style would focus on the "entertainer" and expand upon that in broad brushstrokes.

The skill you've designed here is exactly the opposite, in that it is encompassing a whole character concept, and inclusive of a broad array of unrelated components. I would like to offer you my Wordsmith (Posted below) as an alternative to your Bard here. At least with it you can get an idea about what you might like to do with such a skill. By mixing Wordsmith with a Thief, you pretty much have a Bard. You can also mix Wordsmith with a Fighter to produce a tougher, less sketchy bard.

Don't feel like I'm forcing it on you. Feel free to modify it or make your own, I'm just offering it as an idea-base.

The Bard you posted is more like a class, providing a broad range of skills, rather than a skill, focused on a single aspect of one's talent pool.

WORDSMITH
This skill calls on the power of words to generate spell effects. They may do this with words of power, poetry, epic stories, inspiring speeches, chants or bardic song. Wordsmith spells requiring a hearer may involve opposed will checks. Wordsmiths may only have one Wordsmith spell active at a time. Gorges, elevations over valleys and chasms, and any obstacles can affect vocal range. Because wordsmith is vocal, the wordsmith's body is free for other actions. Using a spell takes no actions, but they must be able to vocalize.

Score: half WIL +10 per wordsmith level. Cannot be attempted unskilled.

» Inspire/Devastate - Provide a +10 or -10 bonus to all percentile roles assisting chosen characters or enemies for the duration of the speech. At first level, inspire 1 individual. At second level, inspire up to 2 individuals. At third level, inspire up to 5 individuals. At fourth level, inspire up to 10 individuals. At fifth level, inspire up to 20 individuals. At sixth level, inspire an army of any size within hearing range.
» Manipulate - Affect the emotions and wakefulness of hearers in any way you choose for the duration of the speech. At first level, manipulate 1 individual. At second level, manipulate up to 2 individuals. At third level, manipulate up to 5 individuals. At fourth level, manipulate up to 10 individuals. At fifth level, manipulate up to 20 individuals. At sixth level, manipulate an army of any size within hearing range. The wordsmith can only manipulate emotions to achieve a result related to the current actions and decisions of those affected.
» Reveal Motive - Once per encounter, ask the GM what a character's motive is. The GM must tell you truthfully. A number of motives may be discerned equal to the wordsmith's skill level for all speakers in hearing range of the wordsmith.
» Reveal Secret Spaces - All nearby spaces are outlined with an aura visible to all characters with a line of sight, revealing any hidden passages, traps or hidey holes. Reveals all spaces in an area up to 10ft per Wordsmith level.

Note: These are essentially spells using spoken words, since Wordsmith is a spell user concept.

Map win +9000

Thanks for the feedback Ascent, I thought about how I wanted the bard's skills to feel without overlapping other skill groups that could be learnt by the player and rebuilt him as...

New skill set: Bard
Skill value is Will / 2 + 10 per bard level -5 per DR level of armour worn
The bard must be free to move and speak or sing to use their skills and most magic items that can enhance a bards ability are in the form of a music instrument, so the typical bard can play a wide variety of string and wind instruments.

Skills
Aid Allies - A successful bard skill test can remove 1 negative condition from level x level allies.
Fascinate – The bard can become a favored companion or lover of the target. To fascinate a target the bard must spend several hours in their company and make a bard skill test that can be resisted by the target’s will. Once fascinated the target will favour the bards opinion and reveal truth or plant lie attempts on the target will succeed automatically. If the bard leaves the target then the target may break the fascination will a will test made once every bard skill level weeks. Beware those that critically fail in avoiding fascination for they will never be broken of the spell and will be jealous of any other attention the bard receives. With the exception of critical will failures, a bard may only have one fascinated target at once and may end the targets fascination at will.
Reveal Truth or Plant Lie - On a successful use of the skill the bard can show the true nature of a falsehood or illusion to all those present or they can bend the truth and plant a false belief of events to a number of people equal to their level. The targets of a plant lie attempt may resist with a willpower check.
Noble Entertainer - The bard is welcome in many places as a notable bringer of entertainment and news. Unless they have previously had bad relations in a town or castle then the bard is always welcome at the local lord's home where other traveling entertainers would be left on the street. An entertainment skill check can be made to see if the audience is impressed enough with the bard to grant them further favours.

Titles
Level 1 Entertainer
Level 2 Troubadour
Level 3 Player
Level 4 Songsmith
Level 5 Bard
Level 6 History writer

New skill set: Noble

Skill value is Will / 2 + 10 per skill level
This class may not be bought just through use of DPs, but the right to go up a level in the class must be given by the GM as a result of events in the campaign, only then can the PC buy the class benefits up to their new noble status. A GM may choose to allow a PC to start as a thane.

Skills
Etiquette – The ability to fit in at a noble social function and match the expected standards of behaviour, success in a test shows the requisite command of language, etiquette and lordly skills to impress those watching.
Politics – The ability to debate and negotiate with others including knowing their political past and behaviours if they are of noble class.
Command – The ability to get those of lesser social statues to follow your orders without delay, a successful test means that those of lesser status will drop what they are doing and follow your command unless they are actively trying to harm you.
Personal servant – The noble has a personal servant with a total number of skill levels equal to the noble’s level and attributes of 50 + 4 per noble’s level. The noble may choose how their servant grows in skills.

Titles
Level 1 Thane
Level 2 Landed Thane
Level 3 Knight
Level 4 Baron
Level 5 Earl
Level 6 Duke

Still some work to go on these I think, but I need to get back to other stuff.

Thanks, it's quite crude at the moment but the issue is that if I blow up the detail then I would not be able to display any more than a small corner in the forum.

I may have to make mini maps of specific areas for display, as and when I detail them.

Excellent work on the skills. I take it the Bard does not in their self cast magic spells? (I'm thinking that because the Reveal Truth talent is the same as the spell and because you make no mention of spell use.)

I think I'm missing which spell has the equivalent power of reveal truth, I don't see a true seeing type spell in the list and most falsehoods aren't magic so can't be dispelled. I admit that Aid is similar to Cleanse and I need to show it as being less powerful but more reusable to highlight the difference.

Is the bard using magic? I suspect it should be more mesmerism and stage trickery than real magic, but there is a small element of power to their ways.

It depends on how real you're wanting to make them. The D&D Bard was always a magic user. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen a non-magical bard in any system. They're kind of weak otherwise.

More random writings for BBBeckland.

The gods of the riverkin
The Riverkin do not have gods as such, each riverkin convoy has a protector spirit that is held in esteem by the convoy as a whole and usually the convoy has a pair of spirit brides whose role it is to run the ceremonies of worship to the protector spirit as well as being a normal working member of the community. It is not unknown for the spirit bride to be called for to find that she has been working alongside her family harvesting in a farmer’s cabbage field. Each individual boat and wagon also has on it a carved figurehead and these figureheads are treated as the personal protectors of those that live in that boat or wagon.

Though some people scoff at the riverkins’ protector spirits it is known that many spirit brides can use clerical powers and so they must be connecting with something or someone on a higher plane. Spirit brides usually use a quarterstaff or sling as their smite weapon. Riverkin clerics can select summon as one of their spells to call upon the convoy’s protector spirit.

The gods of the elves
The green elves have a recognisable pantheon of gods and these are:
Cyndale the Tree Maiden, goddess of plants, preferred weapon unarmed but with a damage of 1D+2 as they can make their hands and arms grow large and thorny in battle. Cleric of Cyndale can also climb any tree without needing to make a skill test.
Kurtor the Hunter, god of animals, preferred weapon javelin, longbow or shortbow. Javelin clerics of Kurtor have a range of 60 not the normal 30.
Decca the Water Lord, god of water, preferred weapon trident, clerics of Decca may breathe underwater for 10 minutes once per day.
Tarrant the Father, god of the sky, preferred weapon sword and shield. When defending against missile weapons the Cleric of Tarrant may use their cleric skill rather than their dexterity.
Lissal the Watcher, goddess of the underworld, preferred weapon flail or morning star. Clerics of Lissal get +10 to combat attacks against undead creatures.
Eras the Trickster, god/goddess of magic, preferred weapon 1 handed with no strength requirement. Clerics of Eras may reroll a resistance or skill check dice roll once per day.

As far as anybody is aware the dark elves have no god, or not one that they willingly talk about to strangers. However something is seriously amiss here as those scholars whom have explored ruined dark elf cities have found temples to three recognisably distinct gods that were worshiped before the fall of the dark elf cities. So what happened to their gods? Any player who wishes to be a Dark Elf Cleric is either going to worship another race’s gods or be worshipping one of the lost gods, Either way they should keep very quiet about it when around other dark elves.

Magic the Spirit World and other planes of existence

Magic is a fact of life in Beckland, magic using people and creatures are not common but they are a reality of daily life as are gods, spirits and other worlds or planes of existence.
There is a place known as the spirit world or Astral plane that sits alongside the world and is where spirit creatures reside. It is also the place where spellcasters and other magic users get their power. The act of casting a spell links the two planes and Astral energy flows through the link. Think of the two planes as the positive and negative terminals of a battery powering an electric circuit. A more powerful mage can draw a bigger current and thus create greater effects.
Spirits live in the Astral and some of them can also cause direct impacts on the material world but this is often draining for the spirit unless something has caused the worlds to come ‘closer’ than normal. Such places are usually where great emotion has been spent on the material world such as a battlefield or temple.
Other planes of existence are infinite in number, some being other planets, the homes of the gods and other places of demons and elemental forces. To get to these other worlds requires travel to the Astral plane and then beyond for the astral links to everywhere, it may even link Beckland to Keranak if you follow the right route.
Travel to the Astral usually requires the aid of something that resides there or the use of some specialist magic to make the planes touch and open a portal.

Some of the places that can be reached via the Astral are…
The Fae Realms
The elemental planes
Godsholme
The underdark
The great hell
Keranak and other BBF worlds (if you wish to place Beckland on the same world as Keranak then go for it, but I think that making the players realise that they aren’t in Kansas anymore would be more fun)

Gods of men to follow along with some economy stuff or whatever my mind turns up as I type...

Just noticed the file upload thingy so I have attached a bigger Beckland map in png format. Double click on the map and it will open up but is the best part of 1900 pixels across, full size.

I have various bits and pieces that are half written currently so will try to finish something for posting in the next day or two.

Nice map, really nice. One hex = one league then?

Really digging this. Going to print it out.

Yes, basically I think that a 3 mile / 1 league hex gives enough land mass for a viable campaign without needing too big a map area. It would take several weeks for a party to walk from one end of the peninsular to the other.

Don't be in to much of a hurry, lots of updates will trickle through including many more names on an updated map before long.

I've just posted a map update to the previous post (20:15 GMT).

Thanks for the comments, it's useful to know that people are curious as to what will turn up next. Once I've amassed enough random verbalage then I'll see about publishing it in a proper Barebones style format.

Actually, it would take no more than 9 days (5 days if from one side to the other). 20 miles is the average travel rate for people on journeys. As a 16 yr old kid, I traveled 18 miles in less than a night. 30 miles could easily be accomplished in a day with only minor exhaustion (if no equipment). Encumbered, 20 miles is the max.

However, to put that distance in perspective, that's about the distance from the north end of the pentacle bar of Texas to its south end where it hits the red river.

A shortish piece today

Travel through Beckland

Land travel
Travel through Beckland is not particularly fast, there are cart tracks and foot trails, but no paved road system and the tracks and trails tend to wander following land features, rather than being direct. Though hexes on the map are listed as being 3 miles across it is assumed that 4 miles would be actually covered by anybody traversing a hex from side to side.

Good ground is assumed to be open hexes or light woodland hexes. The typical speed of an adventuring party through good ground along rough trails while wearing light or medium armour is assumed to be 2 miles per hour or about 2 hours per hex, people walking in heavy armour will take 3 hours per hex. Those on horseback will take 1 hour per hex. This applies to open, hill and light woodland hexes only. Thus walking through civilised lands a party can expect to traverse 4 to 6 hexes per day if not on a forced march.

Rough ground is assumed to be areas such as swamps, mountains, dense forests, marsh and moorland. Walking through rough ground takes 3 hours per hex or 4 if walking in heavy armour. The nature of the ground is such that direct point to point travel is very difficult. For the typical group, traveling in rough areas is reduced to 2 to 3 hexes per day.

Navigation and scout tests: The GM may on choosing use a scout test to see if the party wastes time in crossing unknown lands. On a failed scout test the party takes an additional d6 x 10 minutes crossing a good ground hex or an additional 2d6 x 10 minutes crossing a rough ground hex.

Other forms of travel
Beckland horses are quite sturdy and will carry a rider for 8 hours per day, but will need resting one day in 4.
Travel by cart or wagon is slow and takes 3 hours per hex on good ground but is useless on rough ground, unless the party has animal to switch then the cart will only travel 2 or 3 hexes per day.
A rider on a string of fast horses making changes every 2 hours could cover 1 hex per hour from dawn to dusk over good ground.

now I've put water travel on my to do list , bah...

What's in a random hex of Beckland?
Though I will detail the towns, cities and noted ruins on the Beckland map, this section contains a set of tables to allow for the GM to rapidly fill in the details of unknown hexes in Beckland.

Plains
This is a mixture of open grassland and farmland, the plains have about 20% cover by woodland areas. The maximum land height of a plains area is under 500 feet below sea level

Light Woodland
Light woodland has a mixture of woodland and open terrain, typically 2/3 woodland and 1/3 open. The maximum land height of a plains area is under 500 feet below sea level

Dense Woodland
This area is full of trees. The maximum land height of a plains area is under 500 feet below sea level

Hills
The hills area is open land between 500 and 1500 feet above sea level. Some proportion of the hills area is d10 x 3% open and d10 x 3% rocky

Wooded Hills
These hills area is between 500 and 1500 feet above sea level and is mainly covered in woodland. (d10 x 3% is open and d10 x 3% is rocky)

Mountain
This area is open land over 1500 feet above sea level and is mainly open terrain with patches of woodland and moorland. The Dragons Back mountains top out at about 8000 feet while those on the main body of the peninsula top out at about 4000 feet.

Wooded Mountains
This is mixed open and wooded land between 1500 and 3000 feet above sea level that has at least 50% forest cover. There will be patches of rocky areas and open moorland as well.

Marsh
Marshland is low lying flatlands, a mixture of water, reed beds and low islands. Most marshlands are wild or controlled by a local Orc den.

Moorland
Moorland is high (1500 to 3000 feet) and wet, it is pretty much always wild as unless there are valuable minerals to be mined, the land is worthless.

Badlands
Low lying but very rocky and lacking decent water supplies or vegetation cover; badlands are a bit of an oddity and are usually avoided by any sensible people. Badlands tend to be places of refuge for monsters and outlaws.

Reefs
Reefs are a collection of lots of little reefs and sand banks with small islands and dangerous rock formations poking out from the sea. Most sailors avoid reef areas but there is good fishing in these hexes and pirates can find a well hidden shelter if they are careful.
Settlement Type

The following table doesn't come out particularly well in the web site, but basically find which of the 5 columns fits the terrain you are in then roll a d10 to find if their is a village of some kind there. I will probably do a major depopulation job on this at some point in the future.

Roll - Plains - Light Woods or Hills or Wooded Hills - Mountains or Wooded Mountains - Marsh - Dense Forest
1 - Hamlet - Green Elf camp (wooded areas only) - Green Elf camp (wooded areas only) - Orc Den - Green Elf Camp
2 - Hamlet - Green Elf camp (wooded areas only) - Sky Dwarf Hold (Mountain areas only) - Orc Den - Green Elf Camp
3 - Hamlet - None - Sky Dwarf Hold (Mountain areas only) - Orc Den - Green Elf Camp
4 - Hamlet - None - Sky Dwarf Hold (Mountain areas only) - Orc Den - Green Elf Camp
5 - Hamlet - None - None - None - None
6 - Hamlet - None - None - None - None
7 - Village - Hamlet - None - None - None
8 - Village - Hamlet - Hamlet - None - None
9 - Village - Hamlet - Hamlet - None - None
0 - Village - Village - Village - Human Village - None

Hamlets are collections of farms grouped together for mutual protection and support.
The hamlet population is d100 people (minimum 10) a hamlet is usually owned by a thane or knight on behalf of a more senior noble.
A hamlet has a 30% chance of having a manor house
A hamlet will 40% of the time have some form of brew house that can double up to provide basic overnight accommodation.

Village population is d10 x 100 people, a village may be directly owned by a knight, baron, earl or the duke. Some villages are owned by two (or more) masters as land ownership has been split through inheritance.
A village will always have a manor house of some form, it is not unusual for a village to have two manors.
All villages will have a tavern, inn or brew house of some kind, many villages have more than one.
50% of villages will have a metal smith
50% of villages will have a permanent trader’s house
30% of villages will have a weekly market that attracts travelling traders
40% of villages have some form of defensive wall, usually this is an earth bank and ditch with a wooden wall.

Manor houses are: 30% wooden framed long houses, 40% fortified towers, 30% have a tower with a courtyard and outer wall.

Towns and cities along with the larger holds and camps, are marked and named on the map so will not appear randomly.

I will produce tables for creatures, ruins, dungeons, etc in the near future…

Economy Basics

In Beckland gold is much rarer than in Keranak so the standard unit of coinage is based on silver rather than gold. The main coin of Beckland is the silver boar (sb) named after the clan that first minted coins to a good enough quality that they became the standard across the peninsular. A boar is considered as being the worth of 1 unskilled labourer for 1 day though the real cost of labour varies dependent on market forces. Other coins are the bronze bit (bb) and the gold ducat (gd). 10 bronze bits are worth 1 boar and 10 boars are worth 1 ducat. Trade deals are often done with silver ingots that weigh about 1lb (0.5kg) and are worth 100 boars each.

Common prices
You will note that there aren’t huge amounts of gold floating around in the natural economy of Beckland and items are cheap in comparison to the BBF main rules book. A group of successful adventurers can live like lords and will therefore attract plenty of attention. But as they are risking their lives on dark adventures, the rewards should be commensurate by the measure of the common man. A rough conversion for prices is that 1 Keranak gold piece has a similar purchasing power to 1sb in Beckland.

Food and drink
Pint of beer, cider or other local brew 1 bb
Pint of good quality brew 3 bb
Bottle of cheap wine 5 bb
Bottle of good wine 2 sb
Bottle of fine vintage wine 10 sb
A cheap meal (oat and vegetable stew) 2 bb
An average meal (stew with pit of pork) 4 bb
A good meal (includes meat) 1 sb
A fine meal 5 sb

Accommodation
Hayloft 1 bb
Tavern, tap room 2 bb
Tavern, bunkroom 3 bb
Inn, basic private room 1 sb
Inn, fine room 3 sb
Inn, lord’s suite 20 sb
Month’s rent, private room basic 6 sb
Month’s rent, house basic 15 sb
Month’s rent, house furnished 50 sb

Hiring costs per day
Labourer 1 sb
Semi-skilled worker 2 sb
Craftsman 4 sb
Master craftsman 10 sb
Soldier 3 sb / level (warrior + leader)
Scout or Guide 3 sb / level (scout)
Scholar 10 sb / level
Enchanter 20 sb / level
Spellcaster 20 sb / level
Hirelings that are being asked to go into an obviously dangerous situation such as a deep orc lair will expect 5 times the normal rates of pay or a share of the treasure.

For other items, then convert 1gp in the rule book to be valued at 2sb in Beckland.

Magic item economy
The cost of creating magic items remains at their rule book prices in gold, which makes them more expensive and rarer in the low gold Beckland economy. There is not really a recognised trade in magical items outside of a few specialists who keep themselves and their customers out of the public eye. This is not surprising given that the simplest of permanent magic items needs enough gold to keep a peasant family fed and housed for several years. Only a few people are wealthy enough to trade for such items if they contain real power, the most likely owners of such treasures are nobles or old dwarf and elf families and the chances of them selling are slim indeed. If the players wish to sell magic items then they will have to be careful how they go about such a business or be overrun with double crossers, conmen or thieves. Great favour or even titles may be granted to those that can bequest an appropriate item to a wealthy benefactor.
There is a bit more of an economy for temporary magic items such as potions as they are within the price reach of many nobles. Adventurers may be hired by alchemists to get ingredients for them that are dangerous to recover so that they can create specific potions, the alchemist that can create a rare potion is going to be wealthy enough that his is unlikely to risk his own neck in the wilderness.

Adventure Hook: ‘So I need three ogre hearts, the teeth from a dire wolf and twelve feathers from a griffin. I promise to pay you 600 silver boars on receipt of such items and all those beasts can be found in the Krisslake Mountains so get to it…’

Place Names

This is an element of Beckland that I was in two minds about; on the one hand, making up random names is easier and would save me a load of time and effort. On the other hand, having a standard style of place naming gives a campaign world deeper roots and a sense of true history; plus, if it’s good enough for Tolkien, then who am I to ignore such an approach to naming a fantasy world. So I bit the bullet and looked at British place names and the history behind them to produce a reduced but realistic set of consistent naming conventions for Beckland. Place names in Beckland are normally made up of two elements a start which is an identifier of the owner or region of the place and an ending which shows what sort of location the place is in. Often as the name ages it mutates and gets compressed losing a letter or two.

The options for name starts are:
Older Beck place names often start with the clan that claimed the place. E.g. Bull, Horse, Cat, Fox, Deer, Boar, etc, these clan names are often shortened e.g. Fo, Bul, Bar, etc
Other Beck names use the name of a major local feature such as a mountain or river. Most feature names tend to be short, e.g. Ax, Cam, Ox, Liff, Pav.
Ragnar tended to show the name of the lord that took the place from the Becks. You can use any Ragnar name from the character name lists (to be produced). Some Ragnar names get shorted or corrupted.
A few places have a name start based on one of the gods and these usually have a long standing temple or alter stone, though not all the temples are still used.

Name endings are often taken from the type of place, of which many examples are listed below.
wald (forest)
tor (hill)
fal (waterfall)
brook (stream)
pike (mountain)
lee (woodland)
wic (farmstead)
leigh (clearing)
wudu (wood)
ness (promontory)
port (fair or market)
ton (dwelling place)
ford (river crossing)
gata (entrance to underworld)
ham (dwelling place)
spa (spring)
hold (an underground place)
mouth (river entrance)
knott (rocky outcrop)
copse (group of trees)
bugh (fort)
ley (valley)
by (farmstead)
dale (valley)
sea (by the sea)
ly or ey (island)
mere (lake)
bank (beside a river)

More recent place names may use a reference to another place and just add a simple descriptor to the beginning of an older name .i.e. Upper, lower, north, east, big, small, red, green, etc.

Example names using this system gives us…
Ulftor (Ulf’s hill)
Bulby (the farm of the bull clan)
Bardale (valley of the Boar clan)
Foleigh (clearing of the Fox clan)
Odinbugh (Odin’s fort)
Axly (the island in the river Ax)
Estgifton (to the East of Giffa’s place)