In 2002 I created the world of Hyracanum for my most ambitious D&D campaign ever, The Edge Campaign, and liked it enough to use it for seven subsequent campaigns: Realm of the Five Duchies, Dragon Isles of the Xanthium Sea (which later morphed into Sagasvale), the magnificent Zenobia campaign, 3 Queens and The Isle of Cats. In the Land of the Black King is the latest.
- In the Land of the Black King (2022-24)
- Isle of Cats (2021-22)
- Zenobia (2019 – 2021)
- Dragon Isles of the Xanthium Sea (2018 – 2020)
- Sagasvale (2020)
- 3 Queens (2019)
- Realm of the Five Duchies (2015-17)
House Rules
Hyracanum – Creation and History
Player-Character Races
RELIGION
Foundational Texts
My game is heavily influenced by the following films and books. I am always trying to emulate the feelings of wonder, danger and excitement of these works. They are the key to understanding my campaign style.
- Excalibur (1981)
- The Beastmaster (1982)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Stardust (2008)
- The Green Knight (2021)
- Alan Moore’s Promethea
- Michael Moorcock’s Elric Saga
- Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series
Alignment
Good and Evil. Law and Chaos. These are the axes of Alignment, the moral and ethical worldview of creatures that helps define their actions, reactions and purposes. The world of Hyracanum was created by the Gods as an arena to play out the contest of various alignments and it is very much the fabric of the campaign.
At the most fundamental level, Good versus Evil is equivalent to life versus death, for both are emanations of the Positive and Negative Material Planes – the generative and destructive forces of the universe. The essential difference is that Good values life and Evil does not.
The conflict of Law versus Chaos is that of institutions versus individuals, control versus freedom, order versus anarchy. Both Law and Chaos can be used for Good or Evil. Likewise, Good and Evil can be tools in the pursuit of Law or Chaos.
Good works toward building hope, love, compassion and well-being for as many as possible. Peace and prosperity are to be achieved by the destruction of Evil.
Evil is driven by a desire to dominate the weak and eliminate the rest. Hate, fear, cruelty and sadism are tools to be used to spread suffering and destroy Good.
Law puts maximum value on order and discipline as the best means of survival and advancement. Institutions offer security against the entropy of Chaos.
Chaos is intolerant of rules and anti-authoritarian. Individual freedom must be protected at all cost in the fight against the oppressive forces of Law.
Neutral sees Good, Evil, Law and Chaos as tools as much as distractions in the pursuit of a balanced approach to existence. Neutral can also be taken as a non-alignment if a creature has no interest or capacity for philosophy, such as in animals.
THE COMBINATIONS
LAWFUL GOOD creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Strict in the persecution of law and order, these precepts are used for the common good: life, truth and beauty. The benefits of this society are for all.
NEUTRAL GOOD folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Law and Chaos have equal value but neither should get in the way of bringing about the most beneficial conditions for living beings.
CHAOTIC GOOD characters act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. For them, freedom and randomness of action are ultimate truths, but they place equal value on life and individual welfare.
CHAOTIC NEUTRAL creatures follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Anarchy and disorder are more highly valued than life or death. Good and Evil are complimentary balance arms. Neither is preferred for ultimate Chaos would then suffer.
CHAOTIC EVIL beings act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their greed, hatred or bloodlust. Law and order, kindness and compassion are contemptible. Life has no value. By promoting Chaos and Evil, they hope to achieve power in a world ruled by individual caprice and their own whims.
NEUTRAL EVIL is the alignment of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms. Pure Evil is all-in-all. Both Law and Chaos may be used, but both are disdained as useless clutter in bringing maximum suffering and woe to the world.
LAWFUL EVIL characters methodically take what they want, within the limits of a code of tradition, loyalty or order. By adhering to stringent discipline, they hope to impose their yoke upon the world and crush any and all who would dare oppose them and their ruthless imposition of order.
LAWFUL NEUTRAL beings act in accordance with the law, tradition or personal code. Regulation is all-important because the ultimate harmony of the world rests upon order. Good and Evil are immaterial beside the determined purpose of bringing all to predictability and control.