Building A Skyrim-Style ACK Setting - Part 1: Getting Started

Building a Skyrim-Style ACK Campaign Setting, Part 1 - Getting Started

I am currently deep in the throes of a Skyrim addiction, one of the best Fantasy CRPGs that I have played in a long time. I am also a fan of the ACK Game System that has one of the most detailed world/campaign building rulesets that I have seen since the days of BECMI.

So I want to see if I can construct a Skyrim-inspired campaign world using ACK.

What is Skyrim?

“Skyrim, also known as the Old Kingdom or the Fatherland, was the first region of Tamriel settled by humans from the continent of Atmora: the hardy, brave, warlike Nords, whose descendants still occupy this rugged land. (Community)”

“It features many different terrain types, including tundra plains, forests, highlands and mountainous regions. It is the most rugged region on the continent; not only containing five of the highest peaks in Tamriel, but also very snowy and cold. Only in the western reaches is there some measure of flat land, where most of the population resides. The rest of Skyrim is vertical; mountains, cliffs, and deep valleys. A variety of crops are raised in Skyrim, from wheat to the hardy snowberry. (Community)”

Outlining the Campaign

I am not looking to create a point for point recreation of Skyrim, but something inspired by it. The campaign will take place in a realm that straddles the sub-arctic to temperate climates. The wild life is going to be based on Pleistocene Era flora and fauna that existed in Pre-Columbian North America. There will be dragons, giants, the undead and other monsters.

In terms of races and civilizations, I am looking at four primary races and a couple of secondary races.

There is going to be an Anglo-Danish/ Anglo-Saxon themed human kingdom. Their rivals are going to be a militant empire of elves (high elves) coming from a land to the south. Then there is an advanced dwarven civilization of loosely aligned City-States. Then there is going to be a confederation of orc barbarians coming from an undisclosed  western land.

The secondary races are going to include a splinter faction of elves (wood elves) who will have a small colony. There are going to be goblinoids tribes roaming about. In isolated areas, there will be white apes and Neanderthals.

So here is the list of what I need to do:

• Create a campaign Map of the Area 
•  Develop the four nations (size, government, wealth, trade, etc.) 
•  Create a Regional Map where the campaign starts at 
•  Detail local areas of interest (Villages, Towns, Dungeons) 
•  Write a couple of adventures