(DnD 4E) Where do the core adventures take place?

fettsvett201

Im a new DM and am getting running to run a campaign. I like the adventures that have been published (especially those on the dnd PA podcasts.

I was wondering what world are these adventures set in? I know its a "points of light" campaign, but I dont know what that means. Do I have to input these adventures
into a published campaign? (i.e put winterhaven somewhere on the map) I dont wanna create my own.

I like the forgotten realms setting (played baldurs gate for a while) so I might use that. But they have their own gods and such (my campaign was gonna include cults of
Orcus). Do I just switch out the gods and such?

Arivia

Most of the 4e published adventures (including definitely any used on the podcast) aren't set in a specific world; "points of light" is just a term used to describe the areas 4e games are supposed to take place in.

If you're using them, it's not bad to put Winterhaven etc somewhere on the map simply so you have some point of reference if your players want to go some place larger or whatever. If you're not using them, don't worry about it.

FR's not a bad setting if you're interested in traditional swords-and-sorcery. If you do decide to place the published adventures in the Forgotten Realms, don't worry about changing out the gods - Orcus exists in the Forgotten Realms in much the same way. Whatever you choose, it's your setting, feel free to change what you'd like.

DiannaoChong

One of the good things is the world is yours that you create. The books pretty much force this onto you. they also state this is why youill never find maps of the world, just the areas the games take place in. Its too limiting to do otherwise.

If you dont want to create your own world, depending on what you are doing you can just not get that detailed, or rip something off.

travathian

Points of light simply refers to the fact that civilizations have carved out small bits in an otherwise uncivilized world. This is why small towns can be so easily attacked by bandits, orcs, goblins and whatever else. It is not like the king's men go rooting through the forest looking to keep it clean. Thus, just traveling between cities can be an extremely dangerous prospect, and also why abandoned keeps, towns, and cities can be found scattered about. Warding off attackers can be expensive and at some point no longer worthwhile or the area can simply be over run and no civilized force will bother to re-take it. Common folk won't go exploring. Merchants stick to the roads. The military doesn't troll the woods looking for bad guys, they respond to specific threats. This is also why your party can be in an otherwise normal town one day and in the middle of an abandoned ancient temple in the forest outside of town the next.

Mike Danger

They're all in the Nentir Vale, which, as others have said, is a setting-neutral type of deal you can slot in anywhere you want. Fallcrest in the DMG is in the Nentir Vale, as is the Kobold Hall adventure. I believe there was a Dungeon adventure in the Vale as well, although I could be wrong.

fettsvett201

Thanks for all the replys. This is really helping me.

Of the two worlds published, I'll be going FR just because its the one setting am most use too.

So for the gods, do both sets of gods (ie players guide and FR settings) exist at the same time?

Also, has anyone edited an FR map to include the cities from the books?

samurai6966

Ive played in a 3.5 FR setting were the dm used the names of the cities but thats about as far as he when. The world was his creation so he allowed all gods. But I won't worry about gods unless you plan on using them heavily. I normally choose a god when I play a character as a way to create more "favor" for his actions, beliefs, character, or background. But like the pirates' code, Campaign Books are more guide then rules.

Mike Danger

I believe the FR campaign guide comes with a little "who's who" where it matches up the PHB deities to the appropriate FR counterpart.

Arivia

fettsvett201 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replys. This is really helping me.

Of the two worlds published, I'll be going FR just because its the one setting am most use too.

So for the gods, do both sets of gods (ie players guide and FR settings) exist at the same time?

Also, has anyone edited an FR map to include the cities from the books?

The FR gods mostly replace the ones in the Player's Handbook and DMG. The Player's Guide has a list for them; the Campaign Guide has an expanded list for you.

This places the Nentir Vale and so on in eastern Cormyr.

fettsvett201

Arivia wrote: »

The FR gods mostly replace the ones in the Player's Handbook and DMG. The Player's Guide has a list for them; the Campaign Guide has an expanded list for you.

This places the Nentir Vale and so on in eastern Cormyr.

Thank you so much for the link to that article. That is gonna help tremendously.