Creating a New Campaign

Not that my old campaign is over I have started to work on what might be my next campaign.

I am looking at Swords & Wizardry or Adventurer, Conqueror, King

I like ACKs world building capabilities, but I like the Class and Races of Swords & Wizardry better.

So I started putting pen to paper with ideas I have had rattling around in my head for several years now.

I have always be intrigued by the Myth Cycle of Ireland and stories and mythology.

I am building a world modeled on it and some Sumerian/Babylonian aspects.

It is not meant to be Medieval Ireland or Europa.

On my Campaign Map I have drawn out a small realm covering 159 24-mile hexes. This qualifies it as a “kingdom”.  At the 4,000 families per 24-mile hex, the kingdom has a population of 636,000 families. Following the Political Divisions of Realms table, I decided the kingdom is ruled by a High King and is divided into 4 “provincial kingdom” (princedom), each controlling 159,000 families and spanning 40 24-mile hexes (14,964.48 sq. mi.). I decided that one of these provincial kingdoms will be one of the starting regions for the adventurers. My regional map should show the provincial kingdoms at about 640 6-mile hexes of settled land (approximately 14,964.48 sq. miles).

The next step is to determine the realm of Lord Wulfa, the Low King of the Provincial Kingdom of Hyre. I decided that Hyre has a population of 795,000, which equates to 159,000 families. Reviewing the Realms by Type table, he sees this is about 50% of the maximum size of a principality. 

Exactly 50% of 1,296 Max Numbers of Baron Domains is 639; I decided that the Provincial Kingdom of Hyre will consist of 640 domains. On the Revenue by Realm Type table, I estimate that Lord Wulfa should earn about 31,620 gp per month from his domains and another 7,186 gp per month from various urban settlements.

Lord Wulfa’s realm, the Provincial Kingdom of Hyre, consists of 640 domains with a total population of 159,000 peasant families (795,000 people). According to the Villages, Towns, and Cities Placement table, it has an urban population of 15,900 families and One City of 3,180 families. 

His realm is divided up into Five Earldoms, each ruled by an Earl with a population of 31,800 peasant families. Each Earldom has one Large Town of 636 families. 

Each Earl’s realm is divided into Four Counties ruled by Sheriffs, each with about 7,950 peasant families.Each County has One Village of 159 families. 

Each Sheriffs County is divided between Five Baronies, each with about 1,590 peasant families. Each Baron’s realm has one hamlet of 31.8 families. Each Baron’s Realms are divided between Four Stewards, each with about 397 peasant families. The Steward’s Holdings, and their subordinate Squire’s Lands, has nothing larger than isolated homesteads and small hamlets. 

Thus the Provincial Kingdom of Hyre has one city (3,180 families), 5 large towns (636 families each, or 3,180 total), 20 villages (159 families each, or 3,180), and 100 hamlets (31 families each, or 3,100). This accounts for a total urban population of 12,640 families, or 8% of the total population.