Lords of Hafenstadt: A West Marches Campaign

Lords of Hafenstadt is a Dungeon World campaign set in a remote colony town bordering an unexplored wilderness in a late medieval dark fantasy setting. Unlike the cowardly normal inhabitants of the town, you and the other players will take on the roles of heroic characters who have decided to make it their mission to gather together and adventure into the wild lands in search of knowledge, fame, fortune, power, and perhaps something else besides.

It is based on Ben Robbins' West Marches campaign concept, and is run with a slightly modified version of the Dungeon World rules. Skype and a microphone are required, a webcam is optional.

How is Lords of Hafenstadt Different?

You are in charge.
West Marches style games like Lords of Hafenstadt are designed so that you and your peers decide when you want to play (“How about we play this Saturday?”), what you want to do (“Let’s explore northwest, we haven’t been out that way yet.”), and who’s coming along (you can join others’ proposals, or ask people to join yours). The entirely player-driven plot makes you important, and the entirely player-driven scheduling makes this game a perfect fit for anyone with an inconsistent schedule.

You are part of something bigger.
The cast of players is, by normal standards, enormous: we’re looking for around 16. While you will all be working together to unravel the mysteries of the wild frontier (not to mention become famous, rich, and powerful), it’s expected you won’t make it to every session. In fact, that’s part of the fun! The other players will fill you in on their own adventures and findings, and you’ll do the same for them, creating a player community outside the game mirroring the characters’ community inside the game.

You are the best. Or are you?
Lords of Hafenstadt is difficult and unbiased, rewarding both intelligent and consistent play. We want you to win, but it won’t come easy: you’ll need to balance the need to cooperate with competing for limited resources and fleeting glory. If you’re going to rightly be considered a peerless adventurer you’ll have to bring your A-game.

Who are we?

I’m Jon, a 24 year old student of history, philosophy, and education in the United States. I get in sword fights, make music, games, and long explanations of arcane topics on web forums. Besides Dungeon World and other tabletop RPGs some of my favorite games are Dark Souls, StarCraft, and the Total War series.

Alex is a 23 year old student of computer science in the United Kingdom. He likes games and books and short descriptions.

We decided to put this game together for a few reasons. One of them was our desire to take everything we had learned over 120 sessions of West Marches and take the game style to the next level. Unlike most games it let us focus strictly on preparing a world replete with fine detail, and also unlike most games having a multitude of players who also control the pacing means the whole game has a huge, exciting atmosphere that continues between sessions. It lets us push our craft to the limit, and we hope you find it lets you do the same.

Caveat Emptor

Here are some things players didn’t expect out of a West Marches style game the last time I ran one. Set your expectations accordingly!

One is that getting where you’re going is an enormous part of this game. Be prepared to make maps and get lost, just like in megadungeon gameplay.

Another is that, despite being run with Dungeon World, this is not a typical improvisation-heavy collaborative story game. Your smart decisions are all that stand between your character and a gruesome demise, and your control of the world extends only to what your character can affect (and where they are from).

Thirdly, this game is flexible, not low-effort. Playing whenever you want does require you to talk to the other players to set up games, and keep them up to date on your latest adventures.

Finally, you are heroes - the most important people in the game - but you’re small, selfish heroes in a big dark land. Small details will matter, like what you carry, paying for your living, and sometimes choosing to run from a challenge.

Endorsements for West Marches from Past Players

“That is the most RPG fun I have had in a very long time.” - Aratech

“BUY ONE NOW AND CHRIS PERKINS WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND TPK YOUR FAMILY. Seriously, though, West Marches above all teaches the value of working as a team. It was fun and engaging.” - SirBee

“The most satisfyingly challenging and authentic exploration based campaign this side of the gaming table.” - 100thLurker

"I really liked it but I'm bad at quotes. But really, it was some of the most fun I’ve had with RPGs. All the players were really into it. There was a real sense of exploration about it." - Tral