I keep meaning to post updates on my progress with my campaign region but I've been so busy working on the campaign region that I forget to post!  I'd like to say that there is a wealth of wonderful information out there in the blogosphere that has been inspiring me, distracting me, helping me, and making me forget to feed my cat (I do feed her - it's okay).

Yesterday I built some random tables for food and drink at the taverns in Illi Pesch.  If the detail is needed at game time I'll have it, and it'll lend some colour and flavour (no pun intended) to the play.  I worked on the beginning of a semi-secret location in the Black Swamp - it turned out better than I had anticipated in the end and was really fun to build.  I gave some consideration to some of the rules I'll be using: about beginning spells for magic-users and the plan I have to give out little magic treasure (and have few such items be in general use in the region) while dealing with monsters who can only be hit with magic weapons.  If I give out a Keen sword (+1 to hit and damage), does it have the ability to hit a lycanthrope?  Current thought is: no.  It's not magical.  I'll have to consider that when stocking monsters and doling out treasure.

Today I rearranged a binder I hope to carry my slim rules around in (Moldvay Basic and Expert books plus a smattering of other stuff I might need), created an NPC adventuring party to be encountered by the PCs or just to have the possibility of having my underworld or other encounter areas be explored by somebody while I'm getting a group together, and made some new and terrifying monsters.  Oh, and started a wilderness encounter table.  With the custom/original critters I've got going on, this is gonna take a while.  And I started on the idea of the long-destroyed-and-abandoned Klat compound.  The name 'Klat' had  been kicking around for a bit - I didn't know what to do with it so I slapped it on a sticky and put it in my notebook.  Today I realised what it is at last.  Now I have a whole ruin/basement/subterranean area to put in.  I didn't feel like building any of it today - I'll get to it another day.

Progress is being made! I'm happy! Now off to read Zak's latest post about how much preparation the DM really needs when sandboxing...