Wilderlands
A downloadable game
Wilderlands is an adventure game where players take on the role of larger than life fantasy characters, inspired by the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Using the tried and true framework of Into the Odd by Chris McDowall and Cairn by Yochai Gal, game masters can get Wilderlands to the table quickly and players can easily immerse themselves into a well-realized fantasy world.
With so many different Into the Odd and Cairn hacks, what does Wilderlands do differently? Most adventure games superficially look like the fantasy zeitgeist that came around after The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but play out more like a sword and sorcery game with a coat of Tolkienesque paint. Wilderlands is a system that encourages players to feel less like tomb robbers and more like heroes from the seminal fantasy touchstones. To aid in this, Heroes progress within the game by helping the different peoples they meet in their travels, as fits Tolkien's themes of community and fellowship.
Print Version sold at Pandemonium Books and Games!
https://pandemoniumbooks.com/products/wilderlands-rpg?variant=44196700684464
Credits & Inspirations
- Chris McDowall for Into the Odd
- Yochai Gal for Cairn
- Bert Bogaerts for the Cover and Interior Art
- Yossi Krausz for the Editing
- Jasper Wilson for the Character Sheet
- Dyson Logos for the Cartography
- Rise up Comus for The Hobbit as a Setting and feedback
- Pointless Monuments for the encounter table inspiration
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $3.99 USD. You will get access to the following files:
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Comments
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Hello, my friend!
I wanted to congratulate you on the incredible game. I simply loved it!
But I would like to mention some possible problems that I saw in the game:
1. In the songs of the human and elven peoples, there is no difference between the High Elves and the Wood Elves, just as there is no difference between the Humans of the Empire and the Humans of the Jungles.
I think the game could be richer if it differentiated them.
2. On page 35, you talk about songs again, but you only repeat the ones that have already been presented. It would be great if new songs were created or perhaps a chapter with instructions on how to create new songs.
3. On page 15, you say that the Calling would define your Vigor, but that does not happen. In fact, at no point in the material do you explain how this happens. I imagine it is a d6 roll, as is the standard in Odds.
The game is incredible and I hope you continue working on it.
Please do not be offended by my comments. I only posted them here because I couldn't find any other way to contact you.
All the best to you!
Hello Carlos! Thank you for the kind words and thoughtful feedback! Allow me to answer your questions in order to hopefully shed some light on certain aspects of the game.
1. Currently the High Elves and Wood Elves have the same songs as the Humans of the Wilds and the Empire. I thought about writing them all different songs, or perhaps a selection of mixed songs, but after testing I was not satisfied with the balance across 36 options, and therefore limited them. However, to your 2. point, I am currently working on a supplement for Wilderlands with some additional rules and guidance (think Deep Cuts for Blades in the Dark) which has both rules for Wizards if you wanted to include them, the thought process behind creating Songs and Items of Power for those GMs wanting to expand the list, and some other odds and ends advice.
3. The text on page 15 could be clearer, but the D6 roll for your Calling is in fact also your stamina! For example, rolling a 3 for Treasure Hunter means you get 3 stamina and the additional starting items for your character. The Callings are balanced around the higher Stamina entries providing less useful starting inventory.
I appreciate any and all feedback, and would love to hear how your experiences running or playing Wilderlands go for you! Hopefully these comments are helpful
Thanks for the quick reply, my friend!
I'm glad to hear that you're working on a new supplement for the game. Your game deserves attention.
Maybe your text is clear and I didn't understand it because I don't speak the language. I used online translators to translate the system and the two adventures. I plan to start a game with my family here at home next weekend and then work on a mini-scenario using the "1937 Hobbit as a Setting".
I'll post pictures of the game on my social networks and the link to your game. Please share your @ on the social networks you use so I can tag you.
I just finished flipping through this, and I think it's a wonderful condensation and restatement of the Into the Odd rules! It does a very good job of concisely restating all of the general rules and concepts of ItO, while injecting your own small tweaks without them feeling "tacked on."
I VERY much like your one-page takes on the different races, and the similarity to the Bastionland and Cairn layout of a short description with some randomized backgrounds and gifts for each. This really is a great, rules-lite method of injecting any heritage or background variations anyone could ask for, regardless of genre!
I was puzzled by one thing...there are no wizards? I could almost understand if we didn't focus on making them a player option, but there isn't even discussion of magic-using entities in the NPC/Enemies section.
You mention "spells" a couple of times, instead of "songs" or "sagas," and I was wondering if this is a system you plan to expand upon later?
Hello Van Davis, thank you for checking out Wilderlands and giving your thoughts! To your question on spells and wizards, for the initial release on the book I wanted to focus on creating a game that could feasibly play directly in Middle Earth, where the only wizards are named characters or far away to the east. However, some of my playtesters have pestered me to create some kind of wizard supplement in the future, and I am tempted as more people ask as a separate PWYW publication.
On the context of the spells of the enemy, Tolkiens heroes often fought against the sorcery of spectral foes such as the Barrow Wights and the Witch King. Tolkien also has a great passage differentiating the Art of the Elves from the sorcery of the Enemy. Thinking on your point, I could have included a spell caster villain in the bestiary to make this point clearer! I do have an adventure in mind with a spell casting villain, and I will be sure to include how they are “different” to the Songs of the free peoples in that publication.
If you have any other questions about the game or future releases, please reach out.
Thanks very much for the reply! That all sounds reasonable.
Again, I really love your layout and style on this...concise explanations, more classic fantasy than Into the Odd and closer to my feelings playing D&D as a kid than Cairn, yet still easily compatible with either. I'll definitely be following for more.
If you're ever looking for any more art collaborators for future products, I'm more than willing to send some samples.
Hi DedZeppelin, I just purchased your game Wilderlands, and I do like your idea of giving Cairn a tolkienesque touch. Not to mention the great front and back cover!! At the same time, I’m a bit at a loss when it comes to Songs of Power and Sagas. I understand that both describe new abilities, characters can learn or be bestowed with. (Although, it sounds a bit odd that you can *find* sagas in ruins, barrows, etc.) How do they work gamewise? The PC needn’t recite a saga – like a spell – if they want to make it work – or do they? Maybe the terms *songs* and *sagas* are a bit misleading? (Hope this all makes sense, as I’m not a native speaker.) Best wishes!
Hello Writer-Ben, thank you for checking out Wilderlands! This is a great question, and something on reflection that could be clearer in the rulebook, especially for non-native English speakers.
The primary mechanical difference between the two is that Songs are used in combat, and upon failing a Heart (HRT) save, make your character fatigued so they cannot use another song until after a brief rest like stamina. Sagas can be used at any time, and either give a passive bonus, or can make your character Deprived after use depending on the Saga . As far as the 'lore' goes, I left the details of what a Saga looks like up to the Chronicler to fit their vision of the game. In my own homebrew setting, Sagas are found as magical scrolls or tablets in dungeons, and Heroes absorb their power upon reading them and learning of the mighty deeds of old. However, a Saga could also be a physical book or scroll read from each time it is used, or a runestone that is channeled if you prefer.
Meanwhile, Songs are taught by wise lore masters or captains when good deeds are done for their people. I encourage players to narrate how their character sings or chants during battle, but of course this is optional! I encourage you to change the flavor or styling of both mechanics to match either your homebrew world, or align with Middle Earth directly should you choose to run a game in Tolkien's world. If you have any other questions please let me know.
Thanks for taking your time to explain this concept to me. :)
Quick mini-review: I was really intrigued by the idea of this, since I recently got The One Ring and felt it was a little too mechanical for my tastes and wanted something lighter. Wilderlands isn't that thing, for me, but perhaps it will work well for others.
The game as a whole is very combat oriented, probably 75% of the rules text is devote to that, and it turns out "songs" are basically combat-relevant spells. Characters really are most defined by their combat abilities and weapons, in spite of a brief OSR-y note about problem solving and avoiding fights. I felt like the social coming together aspect of both songs and Sagas (which are literally described as "abilities you find") was really missing, though the random encounter lists have some nice social encounters on them. That said, I did like the art and production, and the whole thing was very easy to read and follow, and I'm sure it would be easy to implement all the rules in play and find exactly what you need in the booklet.
Anyway, if you're looking for a general OSR-ish game with a slightly less "unhoused treasure seeker" vibe, this might work for you (though it's possible you already own such a thing). If you're looking for a "The One Ring"-type game with some lighter mechanics, this may not be what you're looking for.
Thank you for taking the time to review Wilderlands and leave such a well thought out review! I think you did a great job highlighting where the book focuses on and what it 'elides' for the Game Master to decide upon. I personally love when a book gives me more options and guidance for combat as a Game Master, as I don't like to try and figure out combat buffs on the spot when I am running the game - this saves me brain power for what I love to do, roleplaying out social encounters and problem solving, leaving combat to be decided by the dice. This is why Sagas and Songs have so little guidance on when to bestow them - other than specifying you learn them by helping others, it is totally up to the GM to based on the size and scope of their campaign how and when to award them.
If you are looking for a gaming experience that is more like the One Ring mechanically but highly streamlined (including a simplified version of the dice mechanic) I recommend Ever On by Logen Nein - https://logen-nein.itch.io/ever-on-2e - I hope you find the Middle Earth game that speaks to you!
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!