Prim Rose Path Method

Prim Rose Path Method - Adventure and Campaign Creation

A fine way to come up with ideas for adventures or campaigns is to use what almost all of us do every day; browse the internet. Whether you are stumped by writers block or just need fresh idea this method may prove fruitful. Go to a website or sites that have information on a variety of subject.
For example we will use Wikipedia. Don’t worry about the accuracy of the information you find we are going to translate it into gaming content.

Step 1: Find Seed Content

Go to a websites splash page. Select a link any link and write it down.

I selected The Treaty of Karlowitz.

The Treaty of Karlowitz
The treaty had something to do with ending the Ottoman’s control of central Europe. So an stagnate decaying empire losses control of a region by treaty with Holy Roman Empire, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Republic of Venice, Peter the great of Russia. The land made up Hungary, Croatia, Slavonia.

Step 2: Translate

The crumbling Sultanate of Zhan was forced to sign the Treaty of the Seven Satraps. The Sultanate was left to crumble and feaster turning away from the Seven Satraps. The five great northern kingdoms took control of their neighboring territories leaving 3 to their own devices.

Step 3: Find Support Seed Content

I clicked on one of the links Varet Eyalet (Great name by the way!)

It was a name for a region of administration in the Ottoman Empire. Also known as the Pashaluk of Varat. It also neighbored Transylvania.  

Step 4: Translate

In this case I used the names unchanged for the satraps. I could have changed them a bit of course.

The three Satraps that were ignored by the great northern kingdoms are: The Satrap of Pashaluck, The Satrap of Varat, and the Satrap of Eyalet.

The Satrap of Pashaluck
 
Location

This Satrap is made up of coastal land with large cold freshwater lake and marsh boarding it.

The Satrap of Varat 

Location

This mountain Satrap is home to dwarves and human mines.

The Satrap of Eyalet

Location

This Satrap of rolling plains is home to nomadic horse riders and herders.

Step 5: Find additional Support Seed Content

I selected the link Varat with took me to a page for the City of Oradea.

It gave maps and description of the history of the city. I glanced over it and it was under siege by the ottomans at one time. It also had a star shaped fortress and rivers. The coat of arms for the city had a cross a lion with crown and a angel and book and fortress. One of the Rivers is named Crisul Repede. There was also a place called the Black Eagle Palace.  There are also dinosaur fossils in mines. Also there was a Skull of famous King Ladislaus. The city was also famous for the gold smiths.

Step 6: Translate

So I worked on one Satrap.

The Satrap of Varat
This mountain Satrap is home to dwarves and human mines. The capital of the satrap is Crisulgate. It was named after the swift River Crisul. Dwarven and elven goldsmiths are the main business in town making tickets of gold from the ore produced in the looming mountains.  The Ruler of the Satrap is King Islaus of the Golden Mane who rules from the Star Castle on an island in the river. In the final days of the rule of Sultanate of Zhan the Sultan sieged the city walls sending undead Flying Skulls to destroy the city. King Islaus keeps the sole remaining one in a crystal coffer as a trophy. The nearby Palace of the Black Eagles a house of giant eagle riding knights protects the city and the Satrap. Recently the dwarven miners of Mount Erdeepe found a giant cavern filled with a tropical jungle and monstrous dinosaurs roaming around. Some of the creatures have escaped in to the mountains. The mountain forests are haunted by harpies who are being controlled by evil priest.
In conclusion we now have campaign setting rife with adventure possibilities. It was all done with a few internet searches and a little translation of the content there in. So being led down the primrose path is not that bad really.