In the July 2013 issue of Footprints, the free e-zine published by Dragonsfoot.org, Andrew Hamilton wrote a nice article describing the idea of a ranger’s journal with various types of information about a particular area (name of article: Field Notes from Davendowns). He gives a nice overview of what sort of information could be found on various pages of the ranger’s workbook, and I really liked the idea. I decided that I would use a similar journal/workbook as a way to provide information about the game world to the PCs (and thus the players). The difference is that the article describes the content of the pages (e.g. pages 1 to 4, a description of the geography of the area) while the journal I am making contains the actual content of the journal (that is, in first person, as though the ranger actually wrote it).
****IF YOU ARE A PLAYER IN MY GAME, STOP READING NOW!!!!!!****
The PC’s will find the journal of a relatively well-known local ranger named Belsige. Inside the journal are notes and maps and recipes for herbal concoctions and such. Also, his personal notes on his travels, topped off with some arcane spells he has learned along the way. My wife and I went to the bookstore last week and they had these great small journals on sale for about 6 dollars for 3 – they are digest sized and have about 50 pages with a threaded spine. They looked perfect for the Journal! I picked them up and have been populating the pages for a few days.
This is full of stuff that will help the players (and PCs) in the game – info about creatures, a recipe for a healing potion that will actually work for them, and a couple of maps, along with information about different places they can go.
On the inside page they see a map of the area that the ranger frequents, which also happens to be the area in which they are starting:
The journal also tells of Belsige’s adventures in the Lowerlands, where he met some strange creatures and their territory markers:
Here is a spell (Deeppockets, in case you were wondering), which I wrote in silver ink and using a coding so that it is not easily readable. It’s supposed to emulate how magic spells are not immediately discernable. If an elf or magic user casts read magic I will give them an English translation of the text on these pages.
Looking straight on the silver is harder to read:
Looking at an angle makes it a bit easier to see:
This journal should give them tidbits and rumors and information enough to keep them busy for a long time – not to mention dealing with how they get this journal in their hands in the first place.
Tomorrow I will post the article I mentioned in my last post – about the Regent’s Family Crests in the Eleven Pillars.
Until Next Time, I wish you good gaming!
~DMSamuel