Kuunari

The goal of this is to create a randomly generated map using ideas created by the GM and the players.

So this was inspired by a couple of different ideas:

1. The 4th grade class I teach is studying Lewis and Clark.
2. I love the Stars Without Number/Traveller random world generation
3. Mouse Guard’s Seasons
4. Carcassone
5. The Quiet Year
6. The West Marches Style Campaign
7. Stories being told from randomly generated pieces

So, this is pretty rules agnostic. I probably will end up running this using some form of D&D rules, but could use almost any rule set. One thing I’d love to get more advice is how to get even more of a story game feel to this kind of campaign. I want the players to be actively interested in the world that they are exploring. As the GM, I still ultimately decide what each card means, but the players will have a lot of input into the cards they created.

Set Up
The goal of the campaign is a destination through a region that is currently unmapped and likely mostly unknown (this is the part that ties into the Lewis and Clark). The world will become mapped through play and exploration.

The players will each get 5 2 x 2 square (or you could use hexes). They will choose locations to put on each square using the following guidelines.

1. A place your player character would want to visit
2. A mysterious place or ruins
3. A seemingly safe haven
4. A small town or civilization
5. A natural impediment (dark forest, swamp, mountains)

On the location they can name the location, and decorate it.

The GM should create 5 or more as well. They should create a starting location, a number of cards that would block movement

This is the part inspired by Stars without Number random world creation, but I want to involve the players in the creation of the campaign world as well.

Once the GM and the players sit down to start playing the GM could do any of the following:

1. Flip over one or more cards from each players piles, or at random and place them on the map.
2. Place cards to start that will limit or block movement (mountains, rivers, seas, etc)
3. Place important towns, settlements or other important places (not necessarily in a direct line to the end point)
4. Choose a time limit for how long the players have.

Time Limit
To limit the amount of time the players have to get to the end of their journey, you could use a limit like number of cards that can be flipped over, or keep track of the number of days each card takes to traverse. I plan on using a modified seasons rules from Mouse Guard, and each season I will present a number of weather related issues. Each card will take a default 7 days to travel, unless otherwise specified (like a mountain taking 4 weeks and a well traveled road taking less time). You could also allow skills to modify the number of days of travel it would take.

I think this could be a one shot or an entire campaign depending on ruleset you use and how your group plays. If this is something you end up using (or modifying) I’d love to hear how you used it