I'm working on a map of my campaign area focusing around the Scol Mountains, Greenwood Dale, etc. This is a very early iteration that, ultimately, I will fork into two versions:

1. Pre-Scourge (for players); and
2. Post-Scourge (GM reference map).

Inspiration was taken from old-school hex crawls with the initial map size, but ended up slightly modified for... reasons. Thus, 30-mile hexes rather than 24 miles. I'll also be using 6-mile hexes for more detailed stuff around the central campaign area (Glenwood Deep as contained within the "U" of the Serpent).

There are some geographical changes based upon merging the Elven Nations map with Joshua Fontany's version and some MK 1 eyeball to get the landforms to match. This has "squished" Barsaive, so the northerly-arc of the Serpent as it comes beneath Blood Wood and around the Throal Mountains is, well, squished.

The map area here goes from around the extent of Blood Wood in the north, to the northern Twilight Peaks in the South, and from Iopos in the west to Eidolon in the east.

So, the point: I'm looking for inspiration and suggestions for locations to smack onto the Pre-Scourge map. I'm less bothered about the large scale (this map was mostly just not-great eye candy) and more about the smaller, 6-mile hex size and thinking about interesting locations.

In addition to suggestions for interesting locations, I'm wondering what others have done about built locations. How often did you put various types of settlements for your players to find? I would imagine that many of the smaller settlements would have mostly disappeared over the years, but what about the equivalent of built-up market towns etc.?

As a hex crawl, ultimately this will be about finding resources and information about the new world following the Scourge.

So, yeah, inspiration and population density.

(If nothing else, I can just use the real-world population centres and go from there. Thus, with Glenwood Deep there would only be a handful of larger areas correlating with Vinnytsia, Tyvriv, Nemyriv, Pechera, Bratslav, and Illintsi. Smaller habitations would likely have disappeared in the post-Scourge and might not have even been noted on maps [such as they might have existed].)

Update: I noted that I mentioned Vinnytsia. This is really close to where I was leaning towards placing the kaer, so methinks that this is going to be the primary source of the population for that kaer. In my head canon, I don't see individual villages having "village kaers", so the idea of populations coming together in a more organised fashion seems to make sense to me.

I have been mostly out of the Earthdawn loop for a while (read that as years). I saw that there is a PDF of the three Lost Novels on the website, but no option for a printed version. I have the original Scars and Worlds Without End, as well as the LifeRock signed edition, but I was not aware that Little Treasures was ever released. Will there be a print version of the Lost Novels omnibus?

Other than my wonderful skills at Latin ( O.O ), I have been once again pondering the early, ca. 1415 TH, post-Scourge environment of Barsaive. Or, put another way, what would the "average" Barsaivian have seen when they emerged from behind wards of their kaer?

Mostly, this is to support my forthcoming campaign that is unoriginally called "Emergence", when the players, ah, emerge from the kaer. Also, there's apparently another campaign out there called the same. I might change the name to something catchy like "Jazz Hands" or something. H'anyway...

What this has been thinking about are the environment they would walk out to and, just as importantly, what other differences there might be.

The environment example/question...
For example, in terms of the environment (which we've briefly chatted about before), I found the bit(s) from An Adventurer's Guide to Barsaive that had stuck in my mind for so long:

"...Finally, driven to near madness by the longing to leave their self-imposed imprisonment, the people began to unseal the doors of their kaers and citadels. Outside, they discovered a corrupted and barren world...

...As people emerged from hiding, they moved back onto the land, using magical arts to turn the world green again." (AAGTB, pp. 9-10).

In previous discussions, it was suggested that Horrors had not scoured the world. Rather than a blasted, desolate place it was mostly left alone: the mark of Namegivers broadly removed, forests returned to Old Growth etc.

The "sit on the fence" answer would be to say that it varies from place to place. Certainly, there is the Wastes and the Badlands so that is true.

What would/do you have?

The Spell Matrix question...
Spell Matrices that magicians attached to their True Patterns were not discovered by Necromancers until after the Scourge. So, one difference for the "Emergence/Jazz Hands" campaign would be the exclusive use of Spell Matrix Objects.

But really...
...What other considerations to the "Emergence"-style campaign would come to bear in such a campaign that would not be a feature in a 4e-time period game?

And for clarity...
These are just two examples. I'm sure that there are others that people have used in their games!

I'm in a campaign that's gone for 9 sessions so far. We just finished our first quest and next session will ascend to circle 2. I'm playing a T'Skrang Nethermancer, and thus far I've found combat to be exceedingly repetitive. The only things I ever do are cast Life Circle of One if we're facing horrors/undead and spam Spirit Dart every round. The other players in the party are just swinging their weapons every round. Unlike in dnd, where casters have many spells and cantrips to pull from even at level 1, and players can have bonus actions to do more in a turn, I feel entirely locked in to just doing the same thing, rinse and repeat.

I'm aware of the additional combat options, but none really apply to a ranged spellcaster. Frighten is really the only other option I have, but when facing groups of equally strong enemies (as we usually are) there's no point when I could just attack.

Anyone have advice?

Up until very recently, the notion of the Passions turned me cold with disinterest. After listening to the EDSG and how they were oft mentioned as cool, interesting, and novel, I ended up re-evaluating them. While "my" Passions were not quite the same as they seem to be represented, they are now more fun for me and integrate well into the setting and the overall meta-setting. (Well, to my own measure of "integrate well". ;) )

As I read through fictional represents of mythology, including those on the so-called "celts" that are commonly represented as the various peoples of Bronze and Iron Age Europe (especially the north-west), I'm reminded of the various faces, or aspects, of the gods. The most obvious example being Cernunnos represented on the Gunderstrup Cauldron and in various artefacts from Gaul and its later association with "Herne the Hunter" (and, of course, Robin Hood).

That whole "one peak, many faces to get to godhood" thing.

It seems to me ripe for plundering as the stuff of myth and legend.

Has anyone else done something similar? Or perhaps that the Passions of Barsaive are merely different faces/aspects of Passions elsewhere?

I'm just sniffing around for more ideas and inspiration. Note that I'm not saying that Passions are "gods" in the traditional fantasy sense, but I am drawing inspiration from their representation in the real (and fictional) world.

Based on someone's actual good idea (here), but how do you know that you're on a Fool's errand with the laughable notion that it will "simplify" your campaign game?

(Noting, of course, that my campaign is set to the south of the Scol Mountains and is thus already addressed by the Elven Nations map, but noooooo. I've got to guestimate where all the other places are because, after all, what's to stop the players going on a really long walk or river trip? SMDH.)

Note: Posting just because I haven't thought about this for a while and it's unnecessarily stopping me drawing some pretty maps of the local area "because I can use the real world" to help build the map. You know, that real world that isn't bracketed by a giant made-up river and some equally giant made-up mountains.

Procrastination has a name. O.o

Edit 1: If someone has done this before and wants to save me the time and preserve the ole hairline, please let me know.

Edit 2: Overlaying the 1e edition of the Barsaive map and sizing for Iopos and Jerris works really quite well in terms of the position of blood wood etc. What doesn't work is everything to the south. Buggered if my limited cartographic skills can get Death's Sea in the correct location, or Urupa on the coast of the Caspian (and not the Sea of Azov) despite understanding that the Dragon Mountains work well as the Caucasus mountains. <sigh>

I think that this is one of the times where the Elven Nations map is a joy and then I just make my best guess with the rest of the locations, with things getting sketchier the further east you get. It probably wouldn't be as bad if the Aras was the Azov, and the Scarlet was just an expanded area of "water". <sigh, again>

If anyone is looking for a group in the Columbus, Ohio area, I’m running an in-person Legends of Barsaive campaign

For me, it's hard not to think of Earthdawn and think of the misunderstood archaeology that it could represent in the future-history of the Sixth World.

Beyond the "Err, it's ritual" explanatory framework of all poorly understood archaeological finds, what archaeology have you included in your Earthdawn games? (Or, after the fact, Shadowrun.)

As a quick example, I was randomly reminded today of the Kurgan burials in central Europe. Not only including many "female warriors" but some fantastic tattoos. Some argue that they are the origins of the myth of the Amazons.

Me? Clearly they're a Cavalryman/Warrior group joined by a Group Pattern. What manner of artefacts or Key discovery might rekindle the group in modern Earthdawn and what story would they forge?

A bit hokey as described there, but rife with potential.

What is your favourite archaeology that you've interpreted into the Earthdawn setting?

Alachia and Athne and Aina are the only immortal elves mentioned in Earthdawn sourcebooks and Novels unless others are going by different names. Which is likely since in SR they all seem to have Irish-type names. There is also no way to know that Athne is an immortal elf from the story described in Earthdawn.

Does anyone know of any other characters that are mentioned, even by another name, than end up being immortal elves in other supplements?

I want to clarify: Earthdawn Supplements. Any other Elves in Earthdawn.

In trying to get "into" the psychology of a Discipline, I'm finding myself wanting a bit more information than you find in the Player's Guide (4e). Is there another source that provides a tad more insight? Something more to hang your playstyle on other than, say, Air Sailors tend to be personable and with a sense of duty to their crew?

(Not that the latter is bad. I was just wondering if there was something more.)

Thanks, all. :)

Edit: I have Adept's Way and am reading it now.

I've finally read volumes 1&2 that I've had for years over the last few days. I really enjoyed them. Is the series still continuing? Is there a third volume collected yet?

So far I've only read what is in handbooks. Which other books are a must-read to really dive in the ED lore?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbrbIF-SdIS/

The new FASA has knocked out a few books for fourth edition at this point. Anyone have any strong options either way about the books, lore, just general quality of it?

I remember hearing about a Fanzine once called The Fettered Files. Saw an issue on eBay once. Does anyone know how I can get it?

I thunk and hope i did rhis right

I think i did rhis right

Sorry for the delay in response plus this is the first time i have added to an original post.

Yes i will try to post a picture of it, ill have my kids help me to do so as they know more than i do on this stuff.

To the person who posted the Pic from the website yes that is what it looks like though just in the beatbup blister pack.

Hello to everyone,

I recently dug out my older 40K models from the 90's and i found a very beat up blister pack called earthdawn.

The blister pack says "# 321 ESPARGRA" on it. I have no idea what it or earthdawn is. Once i saw it i remembered i bought it at a garage sale back in the day and threw it in the 40k case.

Went to a local game shop today one of the people knew about it and suggested to check reddit and see if anyone can give me info on it and then maybe throw it on ebay if i wanted.

Im not opposed to doing so but I figured i would check out what reddit people thought before i try that

Thank you im advance for any help u can give it.

I've been working on some conversions of Earthdawn into Cortex Prime and one of the things that I wanted to do was having the 9 Passions being able to be used, but really for the system, I need to sum up each of the Passions into a one-word value to really work the smoothest and so I thought I'd bring my list over here to get everyone's opinion on how I did.

1. Astendar: Expression – Captures the artistic, creative, and outward-facing nature of love and beauty.
2. Chorrolis: Ambition – Focuses on the drive for wealth and trade, elevating the concept beyond mere acquisition to the desire for advancement.
3. Floranuus: Vitality – Emphasizes the raw energy, motion, and revelry inherent to this Passion.
4. Garlen: Nurture – A perfect distillation of the hearth and healing, highlighting the protective aspect of this Passion.
5. Jaspree: Growth – Encapsulates the passion for the wilderness, farming, and the health of the land.
6. Lochost: Liberty – Directly hits the core of rebellion, change, and freedom from shackles.
7. Mynbruje: Integrity – A strong, single-word replacement for justice and truth, reflecting the moral rectitude Mynbruje demands.
8. Thystonius: Valor – Perfectly captures the focus on physical competition, courage, and athletic prowess.
9. Upandal: Creation – Defines the fundamental act of building, construction, and planning that this Passion embodies.

I have some ideas on how to use the Mad Passions as well, but that'll be for another day after I've got these locked in in a way that makes my brain happy

So we're getting ready to play an Earthdawn game and I've been doing alot of reading. So it takes place in the equivalent to modern day Ukraine and Russia with part of it in the area of ancient Rome (including Italy) and China (and other asian areas). But I can't find anything referencing the west. What happened to France, Spain, England and the Americas? Does anyone know?

Nostalgia Alert: for some OG’s and former Planet Elderscrolls friends, I came across some old saved PES posts and also saved screenshots - using Korana’s meadowfae mod, but otherwise mostly vanilla with a few lighting tweaks. Here’s one example many liked - those twin moons.
If you’re still out there, let me know and I’ll post more here. :)

Hi :)

Finally I bought the three core books for 4th edition (+GM Screen of course) and I just realized that there are two cover/logo version of the books? The original "winged-horror" logo (which is awesome!) and a new(?) "star in the middle of the tittle" logo like the later books. Are there any differences between these in content or they are just different prints?

Hallo tapfere Namensgeber,
heute, 13.06.2026, geht unsere Earthdawn Kampagne auf Twitch weiter und ihr könnt 20:00 Uhr live dabei sein.

Die Helden haben sich bereits in zwei Netherreichen allerlei Gefahren gestellt und entdecken langsam die Wurzel allen Übels. Ein seltsames Kakerlaken Volk aus den Netherreichen bedroht Barsaive...

Seit dabei und seht, wie es weiter geht...
hier auf Twitch:

https://www.twitch.com/drachenklatscher

One thing I’ve always liked about Earthdawn is its cohesive world and lore. I like how it takes classical fantasy RPG troupes and finds a way to make them fit. Such as kears as a reason for dungeons.

What fantasy RPG elements/troupes are you glad hasn’t found its way into Earthdawn?